Performing Arts to Take Center Stage at the Aquarium in 2020

March 3, 2020

Long Beach, CA—The Aquarium of the Pacific is reinventing the concept of a traditional aquarium with its new Pacific Visions expansion. Instead of seeing just animals, you can also experience multisensory art and films, digital games, and now witness performing arts productions. The season will kick off with an opera performance of Peter Maxwell Davies’ The Lighthouse in March in the Honda Pacific Visions Theater. Musical instruments played by Jewish musicians during the Holocaust and restored will also be played in the theater during a symphony performance in April that delves into the gripping backstories of the instruments and their previous owners. In addition, the Aquarium will host a chorale concert in June.

“The arts in all of their modalities are important to our Aquarium. We believe that art can strike emotional chords with people in ways that science alone often cannot. With our new Pacific Visions wing, we are able to take this to the next level by combining the arts and the sciences to inspire people to create a better planet here on Earth,” said Dr. Jerry Schubel, Aquarium of the Pacific president and CEO.

The Aquarium of the Pacific is kicking off its Pacific Visions performing arts season with performances of The Lighthouse by the Long Beach Opera on March 21, 22, 28, and 29 at 7:30 p.m. Part ghost story, part psychological drama, this opera is based on the true story of three lighthouse keepers who disappeared mysteriously from a remote Scottish lighthouse in 1900. This performance will utilize the Honda Pacific Visions Theater’s state-of-the-art audio, visual, and multisensory technology, 133-foot-long and 32-foot-high screen, and floor projection disk. “We are so happy to be producing in this ultra-state-of-the-art venue. It allows LBO to more fully realize our motto, ‘to expect the unexpected,’” said Long Beach Opera Director of Marketing Nathan Granner. Seat prices range from $49 to $150 each, and tickets are available for sale through the Long Beach Opera.

The performing arts season at the Aquarium of the Pacific will continue with the Long Beach Symphony on April 21 at 7:30 p.m. Stories of Hope launches the Violins of Hope week with an intimate performance in the Aquarium’s new 300-seat Honda Pacific Visions Theater. The mission of Violins of Hope is to educate audiences about the Holocaust through music and culture using a collection of musical instruments rescued after the Holocaust.

“Since having been recovered, authenticated, and lovingly restored at the hands of world-renowned luthier Amnon Weinstein in his Tel Aviv workshop, the Violins of Hope have traveled the globe with their teachings of tolerance, perseverance, survival, and hope. We are fortunate to have them in Long Beach. The Aquarium’s Honda Pacific Visions Theater provides a dynamic and adaptable venue for opening our week of performances and educational workshops and will give audiences an intimate opportunity to experience these incredible instruments and the stories of the people who owned them,” Long Beach Symphony President Kelly Lucera said. This mixed-media presentation will feature Dr. James Grymes, author of the book Violins of Hope, and Israeli Violinist Niv Ashkenazi accompanied by the musicians of the Long Beach Symphony. Tickets are $100 per person and are available for sale through the Long Beach Symphony.

The Long Beach Chorale will perform a summer evening concert on Sunday, June 7, 2020, closing out their season at the Aquarium for the fifth year running. Led by Interim Artistic Director Matthew Martinez, the chorale will perform a fun and diverse program of choral music and solos about nature, entitled “The Trees of Life.” The concert is part of the Aquarium’s ongoing efforts to feature the visual and performing arts as a way for the public to connect with the ocean. The Long Beach Chorale originally performed at the Aquarium’s grand opening celebration in 1998 with founding director Mark Barville. Under Artistic Director Eliza Rubenstein, who has led the chorale since 2003, Long Beach’s only all-volunteer community masterworks chorus performed at Carnegie Hall in 2017 and 2019.

Long Beach Opera Founded in 1979, the nonprofit Long Beach Opera is the oldest operatic producing company in the metropolitan Los Angeles/Orange County region. Its mission is to engage people through provocative meaningful experiences that challenge, connect and inspire. With a repertory of over 100 operas, including early and late Baroque works, twentieth century works, and operas of special interest from the standard repertory, Long Beach Opera is known for its world, American and west coast premieres of new and rare operas. Long Beach Opera is a recognized member of the American operatic community, enjoying funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, the California Arts Council, the County of Los Angeles, and the City of Long Beach. Its artistic vision is to present unconventional works ranging from the very beginnings of opera to modern, avant-garde works, emphasizing their theatrical and musical relevance to our time. For more information, the public can visit longbeachopera.org.

Long Beach Symphony Long Beach Symphony marks its 85th season and third full season of its Music Director Eckart Preu (Eck-art Proy). The mission of the nonprofit Long Beach Symphony Association is to enrich its community by providing high quality traditional and contemporary symphonic music and educational experiences. The Symphony has received international stature through its dedication to presenting both classical masterworks and contemporary as well as multicultural work through unique collaborations. Committed to supporting arts and culture in the region, Long Beach Symphony regularly produces artistic collaborations with local organizations such as the Aquarium of the Pacific, Musical Theater West, California State University Long Beach, Jazz Angels, Museum of Latin and American Art, Long Beach Museum of Art, Queen Mary, and others. The Symphony presents more than 100 concerts and events a year and an array of education and community engagement programs that reach more than 300,000 residents from schoolchildren to senior citizens. For more information, you can visit longbeachsymphony.org.

The Long Beach Chorale and Chamber Orchestra The Long Beach Chorale and Chamber Orchestra (LBCCO) is in its third decade as a fixture of the Long Beach arts scene. Founded in 1988 by former director Mark Barville, the LBCCO has performed many of the great works of Western classical music and has appeared at Carnegie Hall, the Aquarium of the Pacific, the Long Beach Museum of Art, Rancho Los Alamitos, and the Carpenter Performing Arts Center, as well as with the Long Beach Opera. The group’s musical programming is drawn from around the world and from the middle ages to the present day. Their motto—“great music, up close”—reflects their commitment to presenting masterworks in a welcoming setting and at an accessible price, and they pride themselves on working within the Long Beach community to offer under-served music lovers the opportunity to experience live classical music. For more information, you can visit longbeachchorale.org.

Aquarium of the Pacific The nonprofit Aquarium of the Pacific is a community gathering place where diverse cultures and the arts are celebrated and where important challenges facing our planet are explored by scientists, policymakers, and stakeholders in search of sustainable solutions. The Aquarium is dedicated to conserving and building nature and nature’s services by building the interactions between and among peoples. Home to more than 12,000 animals, Aquarium exhibits include the new Pacific Visions wing. Beyond its animal exhibits, the Aquarium offers educational programs for people of all ages, from hands-on activities to lectures by leading scientists. Field trips for schoolchildren are offered at a heavily discounted rate, from $7 to $8.50 per student. The Aquarium offers memberships with unlimited FREE admission for 12 months, VIP Entrance, and other special benefits. Convenient parking is available for $8 with Aquarium validation. The Aquarium of the Pacific is located at 100 Aquarium Way in Long Beach, California. For more information, please call (562) 590-3100 or visit aquariumofpacific.org.