Protests and curfew cancel L.A. Phil and 'Hamlet' as arts groups' losses mount

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When Mayor Karen Bass on Tuesday issued a curfew for downtown L.A. after the chaos of some ICE protests over the weekend, an unwelcome side effect took hold: Arts organizations inside the curfew zone had to cancel performances, notably "Hamlet" at the Mark Taper Forum and the final night of the Los Angeles Philharmonic's Seoul Festival — which also happened to be the Los Angeles Philharmonic's last evening at Walt Disney Concert Hall this season.
The curfew remains in effect Wednesday, and Center Theatre Group has again been forced to cancel director Robert O'Hara's world-premiere adaptation of Shakespeare's classic, starring Patrick Ball from the hit Max show "The Pitt."
Other organizations including Los Angeles Opera, Museum of Contemporary Art, the Broad museum and the Japanese American National Museum are grappling with the snowballing effects of the civic unrest compounded by an uncertain future as thousands of National Guard troops and Marines roll into town under President Trump's orders.
"As Los Angeles' largest theater company, located in downtown L.A., we are heartbroken by the events unfolding around us and affecting so many in our beautiful and diverse city," Center Theatre Group wrote in a statement. "Our mission is to be a home for everyone who calls themselves an Angeleno."
The theater company said it has stayed in close contact with officials at the Music Center, as well as with leadership at other downtown cultural institutions, and that the safety of its patrons, cast, crew and staff was a top priority.
The situation remains fluid and the company hopes to open "Parade" at the Ahmanson Theatre next week, as scheduled. The first preview is set for Tuesday, and opening night is on Wednesday.
"Hamlet" had been sold to 85% capacity this week, Center Theatre Group said.
"As a result of canceling performances of 'Hamet,' we lose approximately $35,000 in ticket sales per performance cancellation, in addition to still paying full production expenses related to the show," CTG said in its statement. "Should the curfews extend into next week, that number would increase significantly when factoring in both 'Hamlet' and 'Parade' cancellations."
L.A. Opera is scheduled to present "Rigoletto" on Thursday and Sunday at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. The concert "Renee Fleming and Friends" is on the calendar for Saturday. A representative for L.A. Opera said the company has not been directly impacted by protest or law enforcement activity, but that it is waiting for an update from city officials about the curfew.
For now, all upcoming performances are moving forward, and the company will notify the public of any changes. The company is waiving all exchange fees for ticket holders who want to avoid the downtown area. Tickets can be exchanged online or by calling the box office.
"Our thoughts are with the greater Los Angeles community and especially with those who have been directly impacted," L.A. Opera said in a statement.
A representative for the Music Center, which includes Disney Hall, the Taper, the Ahmanson and the Dorothy Chandler, said the organization won't know the financial impact for some time.
"Our hearts go out to all those who may be personally impacted by the recent events," the center said in a statement. "We remain steadfast in our values, including the protection of free speech and the right to peaceful protest. As always, we will continue to ensure the Music Center campus remains a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment for all."
The situation is different for downtown museums, most of which close before the 8 p.m. curfew. MOCA closed its Geffen Contemporary building early on Sunday "out of an abundance of caution" and initially said it expected to reopen as usual on Thursday. However on Wednesday afternoon, a MOCA representative told The Times that the Geffen Contemporary will remain closed for the rest of the week.
The durational performance "Police State," staged by Pussy Riot frontwoman Nadya Tolokonnikova, was originally scheduled to continue in the warehouse through Sunday. It is being paused and its conclusion postponed to a later date. (On Sunday Tolokonnikova remained in the museum after it closed, broadcasting sounds of the protests outside, mixed with her heartbeat, to the empty museum.)
The main MOCA campus on Grand Avenue was open regular hours Tuesday, although attendance was lower than usual, the representative said. MOCA Grand Avenue will close at 5 p.m. on Thursday and cancel its usual late-night hours. (The museum typically stays open until 8 p.m. on Thursdays.) The museum will contact affected ticket holders for refunds or rescheduling options.
The Broad museum, also on Grand Avenue, remains open to the public and is monitoring the situation closely with local officials and its onsite security team. Due to the curfew, however, the museum plans to close at 5 p.m. Thursday, which means that its weekly free Thursday evening admission to "Jeffrey Gibson: the space in which to place me" will not be offered. Any ticket reservations for Thursday evening will be honored at any other time during the run of the show, which closes Sept. 28.
The Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo suffered a significant amount of graffiti. The museum said it has installed fencing to protect the glass facade of the pavilion. A group of volunteers cleaned up the graffiti earlier this week.
"Some areas will require additional, specialized attention due to the surfaces involved," a representative for the museum wrote. "This will entail some unexpected expense, though we don't have an estimate for that yet."
The pavilion has been closed to the public since January in preparation for a scheduled renovation, but JANM did postpone a film screening originally scheduled for Tuesday night in its Democracy Center. The museum is evaluating whether to move forward with upcoming public programs on a day-to-day basis.
The Little Tokyo Public Safety Assn., which organizes the annual Little Tokyo Sparkle cleanup, is arranging another cleanup effort on Thursday, gathering in JANM's plaza.
"We know that the tagging does not represent the majority of those making their voices heard," wrote Board Chairman William T. Fujioka in JANM's monthly email newsletter. "JANM is and always will be a voice for social justice. We continue to stand with our immigrant communities and with those who exercise their constitutional rights to peaceful protest. Peaceful protest can lead to positive change for everyone."
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.