‘Back to the Future: The Musical’ delivers escapism: L.A. arts and culture this week

The inaugural North American tour of “Back to the Future: The Musical” opened at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre the night after the election, and the timing couldn’t have been better. The show is not particularly good, but it is splashy and happy and loud and there is a DeLorean that actually appears to fly. In other words, it is pure escapism, which seemed to be just what the audience wanted as it whooped and hollered with every time-worn plot twist and “Great Scott” uttered by Doc Brown (played with admirable comedic verve by Broadway vet Don Stephenson).

My 8-year-old loved it, and I loved watching her love it even as a nearby Gen Z-er whispered to his girlfriend, “I’m not so sure about this one, are you?” But he was smiling, and she was smiling, and after all the crying and hand-wringing and uncertainty of the past few months, that was enough.

Musicals and comedy thrive for good reason during times of great upheaval — sometimes because they are transportingly good, and better able than drama to accurately pinpoint the hurt of modern life without picking at the scabs left by the pain. But others draw crowds with the promise of a simple joy: forgetting about the real world for a few short hours. “Back to the Future: The Musical” falls into the latter category, and sometimes — especially now — that’s just fine with me.

I’m arts and culture writer Jessica Gelt, happy to report that a little light pop culture does no harm to your serious artistic credentials. My colleague Ashley Lee and I are working through ways to buoy your spirits with the arts this week.

Best bets: On our radar this week

A Sherin Guirguis piece on view in the group show “CUT — Six Artists on the Edge.”

(From the artist and Luis De Jesus Los Angeles)

“CUT — Six Artists on the Edge”
This group exhibition — featuring works by David Adey, David Daigle, Sherin Guirguis, Fran Siegel, Edra Soto and Samira Yamin — is all about the various methods of cutting as methods of creation and transformation of physical objects: tearing, slicing, carving, drilling, laser cutting and more. It’s a means to discovering truths, such as Daigle’s holemaking through commercial advertising images via an adapted drill, and Guirguis’ history-centric paintings with surfaces revealed through hand-cut geometric patterns in paper. The exhibition, which opened this past weekend, is on view through Dec. 21. Luis De Jesus Los Angeles, 1110 Mateo St.  luisdejesus.com

“Antíkoni”
Native Voices Theatre — the only Actors’ Equity theater company in the country devoted to developing new works by Indigenous playwrights, which it’s done for 29 years and counting — presents this retelling of the Greek classic “Antigone” in its world premiere. Beth Piatote wrote the adaptation, resetting the story in the near future and with a Nez Perce family at the center of political turmoil. Performances run Thursday to Sunday through Nov. 24. Autry Museum of the American West, Southwest Campus, 234 Museum Drive, Mount Washington. theautry.org

Ryan Meehan, Estelle Choi, Jeffrey Myers and Jeremy Berry of the Calidore String Quartet.

(Kevin Condon)

Calidore String Quartet
“Formed by four restless students at Colburn Conservatory in 2010, the Calidore String Quartet has gained great acclaim, particularly for its recording of the late Beethoven string quartets, as well as for championing young composers,” wrote Times classical music critic Mark Swed. They return Tuesday evening to Colburn to play Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s complete string quartets, and will be joined by Quartet Integra for a Friday night concert that includes the world premiere of “With Malice Towards None,” a five-minute string quartet from John Williams using themes from the film “Lincoln.” Both performances are at 7 p.m. Colburn School, 200 S. Grand Ave., downtown. colburnschool.edu

— Ashley Lee

The week ahead: A curated calendar

Daniel Craig, left, and Drew Starkey in the new film “Queer.”

(Yannis Drakoulidis / A24)

TUESDAY
Exploring the Alps The exhibition reveals how later 19th century artists explored and depicted Europe’s largest mountain range.
Through April 27. Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center Drive. getty.edu

In the Impact Zone “Breath(e)” artist Michael Joo, exhibition co-curator Glenn Kaino and others discuss innovative approaches to ocean conservation.
7:30 p.m. UCLA Hammer Museum, 10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood. hammer.ucla.edu

La Cage aux Folles Cheyenne Jackson and Tony nominee Kevin Cahoon star in the uplifting Jerry Herman-Harvey Fierstein musical that features the anthem “I Am What I Am.”
Through Dec 15. Pasadena Playhouse, 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena. pasadenaplayhouse.org/event/la-cage-aux-folles

WEDNESDAY
Michelle Browder The artist and activist takes a narrative journey to Montgomery, Ala., in “Reclaiming Space With Art History and Courageous Conversations.”
7 p.m. Institute of Contemporary Art, 1717 E. 7th St., downtown L.A. theicala.org

THURSDAY
Daniel Craig retrospective The American Cinematheque pays tribute to the most recent James Bond with screenings including his new film “Queer,” “Layer Cake” and “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.”
Through Nov. 26. Aero Theatre, 1328 Montana Ave., Santa Monica; Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd.; Los Feliz Theatre, 1822 N. Vermont Ave. americancinematheque.com

Culture news and the SoCal scene

Tessa Auberjonois stars as Joan Rivers in “Joan,” having its world premiere at South Coast Rep.

(Scott Smeltzer)

“How do you make a play about Joan Rivers without Joan Rivers?” asks Times theater critic Charles McNulty in a perspective piece about the new play “Joan,” which is in its world premiere at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa. Written by Daniel Goldstein and directed by David Ivers, the show uses two actresses to portray its titular character — one young and one the beloved older woman the world came to know and laugh with. This “Wikipedia overview” of Rivers’ life, writes McNulty, only succeeds in skimming the surface of the rich, complicated biography beneath. “David Mamet might know how to make the most of a character like Joan Rivers, an entertainment hero and antihero, whose story was an American one of success at any cost. That Rivers bore that cost with intrepid humor is worthy of drama,” he writes. “‘Joan’ doesn’t quite do her justice, but she was a tough act to follow.”

Part theater, part treasure hunt, part video game, the new immersive experience “Great Gold Bird” takes participants to three sites across L.A. in search of answers about a missing loved one. The show begins in the privacy of your own home, writes Times features columnist Todd Martens, who says he was twice brought to tears by the script, which feels “at once deeply personal yet universal for anyone who has survived a significant loss.”

Two New York Philharmonic musicians have been fired after their union declined to contest the decision. Principal oboist Liang Wang and associate principal trumpet Matthew Muckey were let go following a long-running investigation into accusations of sexual misconduct and abuse of power. A number of allegations were first leveled against the men in 2018, at which point they were fired. They were rehired in 2020 after Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians filed a grievance, and an arbitrator ordered their reinstatement. Both men denied any wrongdoing, but new allegations arose and the men were again fired Sept. 21.

Kim Kardashian attends LACMA’s Art + Film Gala.

(Billy Farrell / BFA.com)

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s Art + Film Gala raised a record $6.4 million for the museum last weekend, LACMA CEO Michael Govan told assembled guests during a fancy Korean steak dinner at the event. The 13th annual gala, co-chaired by Leonardo DiCaprio and LACMA trustee Eva Chow, was held in honor of artist Simone Leigh and filmmaker Baz Luhrmann. After the appropriate tributes were paid, guests poured out of the dining tent to enjoy a rousing set by Charli XCX.

And last but not least

Just because I allowed myself to let go and enjoy “Back to the Future: The Musical” does not mean that I do not reserve the right to critique the unimaginative money-minded business decisions that drive producers to champion regurgitated Hollywood franchises as quality options for originality-starved Broadway stages whose audiences — and staggeringly talented actors — deserve so much better.