Comedy, music, dogs coming to Carpenter Center
Long Beach venue announces its first full season of acts since start of pandemic
After going dark due to the pandemic in 2020 and hosting a limited number of shows last year, the Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center is back in full swing with a new season that will bring Al Franken, Marc Maron, several musical acts and even some talented pooches to Long Beach.
Tickets are expected to go on sale this month for the nearly two dozen performances in the center's 2022-23 season.
“We're just so excited to be back and excited to be able to support the artists and excited for our patrons too,” said Megan Kline Crockett, executive director of the venue.
The new season launches Sept. 24 with an appearance by “Saturday Night Live” alum and former U.S. Sen. Al Franken, who resigned his seat in 2018 after multiple women accused him of groping and inappropriate touching. Currently on tour, Franken is also host of a podcast.
Like other live performance venues, the 1,000-seat center had to close its doors in 2020 due to the pandemic. Shows did return in late 2021, but only about 10 instead of the usual two dozen or so that comprise a season.
Now that a full slate is back, the performances, which are scheduled through May, are once again being presented in a handful of distinct series.
The Wit and Wisdom Series includes Franken as well as comedian, actor and podcaster Maron, who comes to Long Beach
When: Various dates SeptemberMay Where: 6200E. Atherton St., Long Beach Information: 562-985-7000, carpenterarts.org
on Nov. 12 with his This May Be the Last Time Tour.
“I'm really excited about this series. What I do is book speakers that make you think and also make you laugh,” Crockett said.
For an up-close experience, the center offers the Cabaret Series, which will include music by Ann Hampton Callaway as she sings songs from the 1970s on Nov. 2-3. For this series, tables and seats are set up on the stage and are just feet from the performers.
“It's a very intimate cabaret experience, so the performers have to be able to connect with the audience,” Crockett said.
The Dance Series will feature Latin music by Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles on Nov. 5 and Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana on March 18.
The Sunday Afternoon Concert Series, which is all about feel-good music, will include
The Doo Wop Project on Oct. 2, while the WOW! Series will feature acts like the high-flying, circus-like Flip Fabrique Muse on Feb. 4.
And with the full season back, the center is going to the dogs on Nov. 13 as it brings back Chris Perondi's Stunt Dog Experience, a dog agility and comedy show that has become one of the most popular family-friendly events at the venue.