Great Performances From Coast to Coast

I have a love for both live entertainment and music, and musicals combine and deliver on that so well. For me, the confluence of multiple art forms reveals a greater depth that allows me to understand a story on a visceral level. Below are some of the performances that stirred, inspired and entertained me, as well as other live events that made 2024 and 2025 years to remember.

Message in a Bottle

Message In A Bottle

Simply put, I love all things Sting. From his early career as bassist and vocalist for the band the Police, to his solo career, this man's music has touched every decade of my life through musical styles encompassing rock, reggae, jazz, classical, new age and world music. With such a breadth of musical talents, it's no wonder that Sting has collaborated and performed with artists including Elton John, Paul McCartney, Julio Iglesias, Annie Lenox, Mary J. Blige, Craig David and Phil Collins.

Pantages Theater

Sting's talent isn't just limited to music. He also wrote the book Broken Music, which tells the story of his childhood and adolescence, up until just before he found success with the Police. It's a book I had a hard time putting down. Being such an avid fan of all forms of Sting's art, I jumped at the chance to see his latest artistic venture involving dance.

Message in a Bottle is a hip hop styled performance, directed and choreographed by Kate Prince of ZooNation and set to the music of Sting. The show has no dialogue or narration whatsoever. The story of a family torn apart by civil war, and three siblings consequently separated, navigating life on their own, is told through Sting's music and the talent of the dancers.

The show debuted in London and toured across the United States as well. I saw it at the Pantages Theater in Los Angeles. This theater, designed by B. Marcus Priteca, is an art deco lover's (like me) paradise. The venue was built in 1930 and is the last movie palace to be built in Hollywood and the last building erected by vaudeville circuit owner, Alexander Pantages.

Back to the show, which lasted about two hours. During that time, the performers danced, popped, flipped and twirled to almost 30 of Sting's hits including Every Breath You Take, Fields of Gold, Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic, Fragile, Desert Rose, and of course, the show's title song, Message in a Bottle.

The show was incredible! Sadly, I don't believe it is touring any longer. That said, it may be streaming. If you are a dance lover, a Sting lover or just like great performances, I encourage you to check this show out.

The Lion King

Lion King

I first watched the Lion King musical in San Francisco many, many years ago. This time, I saw the show at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California and it was just as good as I remembered.

The Lion King musical is an adaptation of the Disney Movie by the same name, released on Broadway a mere three years after the movie debuted. Since then, it has been performed on six continents and translated to 45 languages. (Incidentally, the performance itself includes six African dialects - Swahili, Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho, Tswana, and Congolese.)

The show features 49 cast members who control more than 200 puppets ranging in size from five inches to 18 feet tall. Of the 25 animals portrayed in the show, the elephant is the largest at 13 feet long, 12 feet high and nine feet wide, and requires four actors to operate it. The tallest animals are the giraffes, measuring 14 feet in height.

The Lion King is the third, longest running Broadway show after Phantom of the Opera and Chicago and has no plans of slowing down. If you have not seen it yet, join the over 110 million people that have. While the Lion King movie is a classic and will always be a favorite, the musical is a different and, in my opinion, superior experience.

Moulin Rouge

The next musical I saw required a trip across the nation to New York, my favorite city in the U.S., and an opportunity to share the experience with one of my favorite people in the U.S.

It was at the Al Hirschfeld Theater that I got to enjoy Moulin Rouge, the musical. The musical opened in 2019 and is still going strong.

This Tony award winner tells the melodramatic love story of Satine and Christian who fall in love at a Parisian nightclub. Satine is the star of the Moulin Rouge cabaret and Christian is a penniless poet. That's all I will say, but rest assured, there's more (sometimes mawkish) sentimentality and intrigue afoot.

Everything about this show is lavish from the costumes, to the set, to the choreography. Both surprising and fun was the incorporation of contemporary, popular music including songs by artists including Katy Perry, Beyonce, Sia, Adele, Rhianna and the Police (there's my guy Sting again. Love that!).

Something about this musical felt like going to a party. I suppose the energy, the music and dazzle lent to that. And the confetti raining down on us after the show finished didn't hurt either.

Moulin Rouge is still playing in New York on Broadway. See it there or look out for it playing wherever you might be. I found it showing across the street from my hotel in Germany.

The Great Gatsby

Broadway Theater

It was back to New York several months later and to the Broadway Theater for the next musical on my list, The Great Gatsby. The novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, upon which this musical is based, is one of my favorites.

Never read it, Old Sport? That reference will make sense once you do. If you have read it, and you are a fan like me, I will warn you in advance that the musical is not a reliable adaptation. I won't say much more so I don't give anything away.

The similarities are that both the book and the musical version of the Great Gatsby are a story about love, New York, longing, extravagance and more. The entire, immersive experience transports you to the Roaring 20's, with a set that wows.

Michael Jackson One

MJ: The Musical has been running for quite some time. It is the story of Michael Jackson's life told in a musical. I did not see the musical, which received mixed reviews.

Instead, I saw Michael Jackson ONE by Cirque du Soleil, which has received high praise. This show is less of a musical and more of a concert with acrobatics, impressive technology and some pyrotechnics.

It is currently playing at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada. If you like Michael Jackson's music, you won't be disappointed. Not only does the show carry you through his greatest hits, the performers bring the songs to life with high energy and high skill choreography. The performance takes place not only on the stage, but in the aisles and overhead. You will be engaged for the entire 90 minutes.

Just outside the theater, you will find plenty of memorabilia including this red, beaded, military jacket that Michael Jackson wore to the 1984 American Music Awards.

USC Football

USC v. Michigan

I know that college football games aren't musicals, but the sound of USC winning is certainly music to my ears. These past few years, I have been fortunate to attend numerous USC home and away games. Have I mentioned that I love live entertainment in all its forms?

Highlights from the 2025 season include the Michigan game. In 2024, I witnessed USC's heartbreaking loss to this team in person, in the last 37 seconds of the 4th quarter, in Ann Arbor, at the Big House. This year's game was redemptive, with a USC victory and a final score of USC 31 - Michigan 13.

Once a season, there is a home game that takes place at night. This year, that game was played against Northwestern and resulted in a 38 - 17 victory for the Trojans. There's something about the vibe at the night game that is somehow different than other home games. It could be that the fireworks and the Coliseum Torch shine more brightly against the night sky.

Drone Show

It could also be the very impressive drone show that takes place at half time and could be an event all on its own.

The drones are choreographed by Cai Guo-Qiang, a world renowned, Chinese contemporary artist who is famous for using gunpowder, fireworks and AI drones to create aerial masterpieces.

You may remember Guo-Qiang's artistry from the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Olympics held in Beijing. With a resume including that and other showings world-wide, it is an honor that he has chosen to collaborate with USC on this drone show, as well as several other projects.

Homecoming

The 2025 Homecoming game was a very wet one. Nevertheless, Trojan fans braved the constant rain, to which Angelenos are not well accustomed, to watch their team secure a 26 - 21 victory over Iowa.

As the game concluded, the sun finally came out and a gorgeous rainbow appeared over the burning Olympic Torch at the Coliseum. It was a very special day, especially because I got to share it with friends who traveled from Sacramento to Los Angeles for the homecoming festivities and the game.

USC v. UCLA Game

We finished our regular season with a 29 - 10 win over UCLA, our biggest rival. The game was launched with much fanfare and a ceremonial flyover by the Los Angeles Fire Department. The Coliseum erupted with fireworks, music and celebration in this epic, season finale and Trojan win over the Bruins.

That concludes my recap of some of the best live events I've experienced in the last couple years, which seem to have flown by. This past year truly overflowed with blessings. I thank God for the entire journey and am excited to see what 2026 will hold. I wish you all the best in the year to come. Happy New Year! Cheers!