This past Weekend, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Looney Tunes cast delighted audience members at the Hollywood Bowl with a screening of classic, much-loved cartoons and extraordinary live music.
Bugs Bunny at the Symphony II is the reincarnation of past shows like Bugs Bunny on Broadway and Bugs Bunny at the Symphony. Unlike these past shows, the most recent version that premiered at the Bowl last Friday included appearances from Daffy Duck, Pepe le Pew, 3D animated shorts of I Tawt I Taw a Puddy Tat and Coyote Falls, and the inclusion of cartoons like Duck Amuck and Tom and Jerry at the Hollywood Bowl. In fact, the Bowl itself was featured in cartoons four times throughout the evening!
Conductor George Daugherty was just as animated as the Looney Tunes characters, and led the LA Philharmonic beautifully. In fact, watching him was a performance in and of itself. His title as conductor was shared with Mr. Bugs Bunny himself as the skits began to play. Everyone giggled watching a very prim and proper Bugs try to conduct his own orchestra while handling distractions like a coughing audience member and a pesky insect buzzing around his head (who actually applauded Bugs’ conducting skill by the end of the skit). Even Tom and Jerry tried their hands – or should we say paws? – at conducting during the show, and everyone in attendance got to learn about their journey from Austria to America.
As always, the Hollywood Bowl did a fantastic job of entertaining all of its guests’ needs. Food was available at the Market Café, Staccato Grill, Rooftop Grill, Market West, and various refreshment stands. Families with picnics were also welcome. And if you didn’t have the time or desire to prepare a picnic yourself, the Bowl’s partnership with Bristol Farms gave performance goers the opportunity to order their meals in advance and pick them up on the way to the show. This is a great way to get high quality picnic meals without the hassle of making them yourself, but be advised that this option isn’t available for every show. A great selection of souvenirs was also available at The Bowl Store, including clothing, stuffed animals, magnets, and even the “magic helmet” featured in the cartoon What’s Opera, Doc?
If you and your family didn’t make it out to the Bowl this weekend, there are plenty more reasons to make a trip there this summer. The SummerSounds series is bringing a wide variety of fantastic performers to the Bowl through August. Bands include Gypsy jazz band Fishtank Ensemble, The Get Down Boys playing American bluegrass, and Argentinean music performed by Los Pinguos. SummerSounds also has an interactive aspect: an art workshop that goes along with every performance! Tickets to these shows are only $7 per person, and a ticket to the Art Workshop is $5 per person. Here’s a hint: round up enough of your friends, and get a discount when you by tickets for ten or more people.
Also be on the lookout for family friendly shows like a Grease Sing-A-long this coming weekend (more information is available in our Worth It section), Chicago: The Musical later in July, and a Tchaikovsky Spectacular with Fireworks in August.
