Los Angeles Times - 11.03.2020

LATIMES.COM/CALENDAR WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2020E5

(714) 755-5799

PacificSymphony.org

Thu-Sat • March 19-21•8p.m.

Sun • March 22 • 3 p.m.

Carl St.Clair, conductor

Alexander Romanovsky, piano • Dennis Kim, violin

This all-Beethoven weekend—in celebration of

the iconic composer’s 250th birthday—features

all five of his piano concertos, with a different

program at each performance.

Concert sponsors:

David & Suzanne Chonette • Michelle F. Rohé

Distinguished Pianists Fund

Julie & Robert Davey • CarolAnn Tassios

Jim & Pat Peller

HAL & JEANETTE SEGERSTROM FAMILY FOUNDATION

CLASSICAL SERIES

Pacific Symphony proudly performs at

March

19-22

BEETHOVEN’S

PIANO

CONCERTOS

Official Media Sponsor

Official Hotel Official Classical Radio Station Official Media Sponsor

Official TV Station

Enjoy image

magnification

on the

big screens

health and safety seriously,”

The Times said Tuesday in

a statement. “As we make

plans to host the Festival of

Books and Food Bowl in

the fall, we will continue to

monitor developments with

the coronavirus in Southern

California, and cross-refer-

ence with any guests who

may be traveling to South-

ern California from affected

areas to participate in our

events.”

The Festival of Books

and Food Bowl, both annual

events, are the latest in a

slew of entertainment-

related events affected by

the outbreak, which has

seen nearly 20 cases in L.A.

County.

Further updates and de-

tails related to Times events

can be found at latimes.com

/events. Sponsors, exhib-

itors, participants and vol-

unteers with additional

questions can refer to the

relevant contact informa-

tion listed on the Festival

of Books and Food Bowl

websites.

The Los Angeles Times

has postponed its Festival

of Books and Food Bowl

events, “in light of public

health concerns related to

the coronavirus and out of

an abundance of caution.”

The 25th Festival of

Books, originally scheduled

for April, will now take place

Oct. 3-4 on the USC campus.

The fourth Food Bowl, previ-

ously set for May, will also be

moved to the fall, with dates

to be announced.

While the Book Prizes

awards ceremony will not be

held this year, honorees and

winners will still be acknowl-

edged via an announcement

to be released on April 17.

“Whenever we host the

public at our events, we take

Times postpones

book, food fests

A YOUNGHasan Paul checks out a title at a past

book festival, which is moving to Oct. 3-4 at USC.

Dania MaxwellLos Angeles Times

The events have been

moved from spring to

fall because of the

coronavirus outbreak.

By Christi Carras

The hit game shows

“Jeopardy!” and “Wheel of

Fortune” are suspending tap-

ings in front of live audiences

for a time as a precaution re-

lated to the coronavirus.

Sources close to the show

said the move was partly un-

dertaken to better protect

“Jeopardy!” host Alex Tre-

bek, who is battling Stage 4

pancreatic cancer. Trebek,

79, is undergoing chemother-

apy treatment. “Wheel of For-

tune” stalwarts Pat Sajak

and Vanna White are 73 and

63, respectively.

Both series are produced

by Sony Pictures Television.

Spokespeople for the com-

pany declined to comment.

The move comes as the

entertainment industry

scrambles to adjust to the

spread of the virus, which has

led to the cancellation of the

South by Southwest festival

in Austin, Texas, and other

major events. CBS’ globe-

trotting competition series

“The Amazing Race” sus-

pended production on its

33rd season last month as a

precautionary measure.

According to sources, the

average age of an audience

member for “Jeopardy!” and

“Wheel of Fortune,” which

tape at Sony’s Culver City lot,

is more than 60. Many audi-

ence members are from out

of state.

The national Centers for

Disease Control and Pre-

Jvention have warned that

older people are more vul-

nerable to complications

from COVID-19, the disease

caused by the coronavirus.

No audiences for

game show tapings

By Greg Braxton

opera performers, released

findings of its own sexual

harassment investigation,

concluding that Domingo

engaged in “inappropriate

activity, ranging from flir-

tation to sexual advances, in

and outside of the work-

place.”

The L.A. Opera investi-

gation summary noted that

Gibson Dunn found the Do-

mingo accusers to be cred-

ible “in part because of the

similarities in their ac-

counts.” Gibson Dunn often

found Domingo “to be sin-

cere in his denials but found

some of them to be less cred-

ible or lacking in awareness,”

the summary said.

L.A. Opera said the Gib-

son Dunn investigation

team, led by Debra Wong

Yang, interviewed 44 people

including those who re-

ported misconduct, L.A. Op-

era management and board

members. Anonymity was

granted in cases where it

was requested, the company

said.

Current and former L.A.

Opera employees were in-

vited to come forward, and a

dedicated email address

provided a way for people to

contact the investigation

team. Gibson Dunn also

asked the Associated Press

reporter who first reported

allegations against Domin-

go to invite her unnamed

sources to participate. The

original AP story and a sec-

ond one that ran several

weeks later detail allega-

tions by two named women

and 18 anonymous sources

of unwanted verbal and

physical contact made by

Domingo.

Singer Angela Turner

Wilson worked with Domin-

go during the 1999-2000 sea-

son of Washington Opera in

Washington, D.C., where

Domingo was artistic direc-

tor. Wilson told the AP that

when she and Domingo were

having their makeup done

together, he stood behind

her, slipped his hands into

her robe and under her bra

straps and grabbed her bare

breast. AP also interviewed

the makeup artist, who did

not recall the incident.

Despite accusations in

the AP stories that Domingo

inflicted damage on wom-

en’s careers if they weren’t

receptive to his advances,

the Gibson Dunn investiga-

tion did not find any evi-

dence of retaliation.

“Based on those and

other interviews, Gibson

Dunn found no evidence

that Mr. Domingo ever en-

gaged in a quid pro quo or re-

taliated against any woman

by not casting or otherwise

hiring her at L.A. Opera,”

the investigation summary

said.

The investigation also

found “no evidence that L.A.

Opera ever ignored, failed to

address, or covered up sexu-

al harassment complaints.”

It did, however, cite flaws

in L.A. Opera’s sexual har-

assment policies and pro-

cedures, and it said commu-

nication on the subject was

“insufficiently robust and at

times lacking.”

In a letter to employees,

released with the summary,

L.A. Opera President and

Chief Executive Christo-

pher Koelsch wrote that the

company plans to imple-

ment recommendations by

Gibson Dunn, including a

strengthened HR depart-

ment, a more formal process

for investigating and resolv-

ing complaints, and training

for managers and contrac-

tors.

“On a personal level, I am

troubled, and regret, that in-

dividuals engaged with the

company may have felt dis-

empowered, vulnerable or

unheeded in any way,” Ko-

elsch wrote. “We have

learned through this proc-

ess that there is a wide-

spread, industry-wide hesi-

tancy to report harassment,

and it is critical to our future

that we work to build trust

and transparency with one

another.”

Domingo’s future in op-

era remains in the balance.

A number of opera houses

and festivals around the

world have welcomed him

for spring and summer per-

formances, but others, such

as the National Institute of

Performing Arts and Music,

based in Madrid, and the

Royal Opera House in Lon-

don have canceled shows

featuring him.

L.A. Opera finds claims valid

[Domingo,from E1]

EX-L.A. OPERAGeneral Director Plácido Domingo

resigned last year amid allegations of harassment.

Associated Press

On Tuesday, Staatsoper

Hamburg in Germany an-

nounced that Domingo had

pulled out of his scheduled

performances in late March

and early April of “Simon

Boccanegra,” citing the

advice of his doctors and

concerns about the co-

ronavirus.

Asked by The Times if

L.A. Opera would consider

working with Domingo

again, either as performer or

part of a production’s cre-

ative team, the company is-

sued a statement saying:

“There are no current dis-

cussions about Plácido Do-

mingo’s future participation

at L.A. Opera.” A spokes-

woman declined to elabo-

rate further.

the BNP Paribas Open in In-

dian Wells, not far from In-

dio, canceled the annual ten-

nis tournament after the Riv-

erside County Public Health

Department confirmed the

first local case of coronavirus

and declared a public health

emergency.

Days later, three new

cases were announced in

Riverside County.

Last week, Palm Springs

resident Barbara Cooper ex-

pressed her concern over fes-

tival-goers swarming her

town.

“I just came from So-

noma, where they had peo-

ple quarantined. People ar-

en’t usually held in isolation

for something like the flu,”

said Cooper, 69.

She worked most of her

life as a registered nurse and

knows firsthand how scary

such a disease can be. Co-

ronavirus is especially dan-

gerous for the elderly, and in

a retirement town where the

median age is around 53,

that’s a concern.

Long considered the kick-

off to the spring and summer

concert season, Coachella

and Stagecoach have

pumped both cultural and

commercial energy into the

Southern California music

scene for 21 years.

Palm Springs-area mer-

chants work the April festi-

val windfalls into their

budgets. Thousands of tem-

porary workers relocate to

the area to serve the 250,000

festival attendees, who inject

well over $700 million into the

region’s economy.

The postponement by

Goldenvoice is the latest in a

series of disruptions related

to the coronavirus’ spread.

In addition to the cancella-

tion of SXSW, the Ultra Mu-

sic Festival in Miami post-

poned its annual electronic

music showcase this month.

On Monday, rock band Pearl

Jam postponed the North

American leg of its upcoming

tour.

The fate of Coachella was

being watched closely by the

promoters of the season’s

other major outdoor music

festivals, including the New

Orleans Jazz & Heritage

Festival, Electric Daisy Car-

nival, Bonnaroo and Lolla-

palooza.

Staff writer Randall

Roberts provided

additional reporting.

“SPECTRA,”part of the arts side of the 2019 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at Empire Polo Club.

Brian van der BrugLos Angeles Times

No-chella: Fests put off

[Coachella,from E1]