Fairy tales rarely ask what happens after happily ever after, but Long Beach City College’s Performing Arts Department is ready to go there.
This spring, the department presents “Into the Woods,” with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine.
At first glance, “Into the Woods” looks like a playful mash-up of Grimm favorites: Cinderella, Jack (and his beanstalk), Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, and a Baker and his Wife desperate to lift a curse.
But Sondheim’s score quickly reveals something deeper. It is one of his most intricate and beautiful creations, a tapestry of interwoven motifs that grow and transform alongside the characters.
Listen for the sprightly five-note “bean theme,” introduced with Jack’s magic beans. It begins as a bright, almost naïve musical gesture, but like the beanstalk itself, it stretches and returns in altered forms, gathering weight and consequence.
As fairy tale characters head ‘into the woods’ and collide with other characters, we’re reminded that no wish exists in isolation.
In the same way, Sondheim’s rhythmic and tonal ideas collide, overlap, and evolve, underscoring the show’s central question of Act II: how do we live with one another after the fantasy fades?
It’s a question that feels particularly urgent now. In a time marked by uncertainty, division and personal fatigue, LBCC’s “Into the Woods” speaks directly to our shared condition.
Performances run March 13 through March 15, and again from March 20 to March 22.
Check out shorturl.at/VehMY for more info and for tickets.
Flamenco Nights
There are some nights when dinner is more than just a meal.
That’s the idea behind Flamenco Nights at Telefèric Barcelona, where food and flamenco meet every third Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m.
The Long Beach outpost of the Barcelona-born restaurant transforms its dining room into a featured space for live flamenco performances by a bailaora (female flamenco dancer) and accompanying musicians.
While guests share tapas, sip sangria and dive into paella, the room fills with the unmistakable percussion of heels and the strong pulse of the guitar.
Flamenco’s roots stretch back centuries in southern Spain, particularly the Andalusian region. It emerged from a complex cultural tapestry, including Romani, Moorish, Jewish, and Andalusian folk traditions.
Traditionally performed in intimate settings — courtyards, family gatherings, taverns — flamenco was never meant to be distant or polite. Like a great meal, it is immediately present and deeply moving.
At Telefèric Barcelona, this lineage of great food and great flamenco comes alive. The restaurant’s menu fuses traditional Spanish cuisine with contemporary touches, allowing guests to experience Spain not just as a destination but as an atmosphere.
For Long Beach audiences, these monthly gatherings offer a chance to feel the fullness of flamenco in a setting that honors its origins.
Flamenco Nights take place every third Wednesday at Telefèric Barcelona in Long Beach. Reservations are recommended.
Gaslamp
March at Gaslamp is shaping up to be a full-tilt celebration of rock spectacle, from Sunset Strip swagger to synth-soaked new wave.
First, this Saturday, March 7, tip your hat to one of Hollywood’s most storied rock clubs with Gazzarri’s Night, honoring the legacy of Gazzarri’s, the Sunset Strip launching pad that helped catapult glam and hard rock into the mainstream.
The lineup reads like a roll call of arena legends: The Atomic Punks (tribute to Van Halen), Ultimate Poison (tribute to Poison), Motley, Inc. (tribute to Mötley Crüe), and Lose Your Illusion (tribute to Guns N’ Roses).
It’s easy to dismiss this era as big hair and bigger choruses, but the musicianship behind it is anything but simple, especially when it comes to Van Halen.
Their music can feel like pure party-rock adrenaline. But beneath that sheen lies razor-sharp musical precision. For example, Eddie Van Halen’s guitar work demands speed, but also impeccable control.
To play this music convincingly, tribute artists must not only nail the sound but master the split-second chemistry that made Van Halen, Poison, Mötley Crüe, and Guns N’ Roses electric.
Expect high kicks, blistering solos, and shout-along energy that defined the Strip.
One week later, on Saturday, March 14, Gaslamp trades Sunset Strip grit for brooding atmosphere as Strangelove – The Depeche Mode Experience pays tribute to Depeche Mode.
With special guest Pretty in Pink honoring The Psychedelic Furs, the evening leans into moody synth lines and romantic darkness.
Where glam metal explodes outward, Depeche Mode pulls inward, layering electronic textures with aching lyricism.
The precision here is different but no less demanding: programmed rhythms must lock with live performance; vocal phrasing carries emotional weight; restraint becomes its own kind of virtuosity.
Both evenings blend dining and live music in Gaslamp’s signature style. Tickets are for entry only; guests reserving tables must also make dinner or bottle service reservations by calling (562) 596-4718 or emailing info@gaslamplongbeach.com.