Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, an award-winning Southern California 501(c)3 nonprofit, announced their Casa Captivating 2020-21 Season to a virtual audience on Friday, June 5. The organization recommended that attendees first purchase takeout dinner or drinks from local restaurants who have supported Casa Romantica’s annual gala, Toast to the Casa, as event vendors. At 5 PM, attendees logged in to the Zoom meetup, where they were welcomed with an introduction by Board President Ruth DeNault. Then, Executive Director Amy Behrens and Program Director Kylie Travis presented the season with a series of visually and audibly captivating videos that gave viewers a glimpse of the music, theater, dance, and visual arts programs scheduled for the coming year.
“I’m pleased to announce our Casa Captivating 20/21 season with a spectrum of in-person, live-stream and virtual participation modalities,” said Executive Director Amy Behrens. “We are positioning our nonprofit to participate responsibly in California’s re-opening process.”
Highlights of the Casa Captivating 2020-21 Season
EXPANSION — Casa Jazz Club (September 3-5) has been expanded from two nights to three nights, and includes world-renowned Monterey Jazz Festival’s both 2019 and 2017 Artists in Residence
COMMISSION — “Opera Through the Seasons” (May 13-14) is an original concept opera commissioned by Casa Romantica; the promenade theater-style performance will include arias representing each of the four seasons, sung by well-known LA sopranos
NEW — Three new concert series: Casa Vibes (indie music; throughout the year), Coffee Concerts (acoustic music; first Saturday of every month), and Casa Kids Concerts (various genres including bilingual music; throughout the year).
EXPANSION — Casa Theater program expanded into a residency with Southern California Shakespeare Festival Guild, producing two site-specific adaptations of Shakespeare plays (Romeo and Juliet: February 11-12; The Tempest: June 17-18)
COMMISSION — Public art installation titled “Magic in the Air” (June 25-September 4) is commissioned to inspire discussions about local pollinators; will also have a community participation component
NEW — Weekly Casa Kids Club event (every Tuesday from September-June) after school with free craft activities
EXPANSION — Summer Dance Workshop (July 26-August 26) for kids has been expanded from a half-day into a full-day academy.
REDUX — Casa Romantica has brought back its artist residency program after a decade, inviting San Clemente-based plein air artist Rick Delanty to create new work onsite while conducting painting workshops and presentations prior to his exhibition (May 4-June 6)
NEW — “Backstage Pass” add-on enables patrons to peek behind the curtain to experience the artistry that goes into producing a site-specific performance or exhibition at Casa Romantica (select events throughout the year)
EXPANSION — Casa Kinetic dance series expanded from two to three performances including jazz dance, tango, and traditional ballet
Miriam Larici and Leonardo Barrionuevo, April 23, 2021Magic in the Air by Christopher Lutter-Gardella (Exhibition), June 25, 2021Pop Gun Rerun, July 8, 2021
