Torrey weekend is here: the time when classes, intramurals and the activities necessary to the continued functioning of Biola are canceled.
Many students take advantage of this opportunity and head home or finally make good on their promise to take that trip they have been talking about since last year. Being from Fullerton and broke with nowhere to go, as well as being too much a lover of Torrey to miss the session, neither of the aforementioned activities were an option. However, there is something in the air during Torrey weekend that makes students want to slow down, relax and get away. Or, if they can’t do that, then it at least makes them want to do something new and exciting. Luckily there is hope for those who find themselves in the same boat as me this weekend.
This Saturday, the La Mirada Theater for Performing Arts is hosting a free symphony performance featuring music director and conductor David Stenske. Some of the pieces on the program for the night include compositions by Mozart, Schubert and Beethoven. The performance starts at 8 p.m. and no tickets are required. Seating is on a first-come, first-serve basis.
There is something that feels very sophisticated about going to a symphony, and the classy elegance of the La Mirada Theater adds to the feeling. The theater once was an old movie theater and was saved from the wrecking ball by reopening as a theater for performing arts in 1977.
Since it’s opening, the theater has reached both national and international acclaim and has been called “one of the best Broadway-style houses in Southern California” by the Los Angeles Times. Over the last thirty years, the theater has hosted more than 4,000 performances to more than 3 million viewers.
The theater is quite breathtaking. Its lobby alone is richly carpeted and adorned with shining full length mirrors and brightly lit ornate chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. Inside the theater itself is also very impressive: it is two levels with excellent acoustics. I’ve attended one of the free symphonies before and was sitting near the top, but even from high above I could hear perfectly clear the sounds of the symphony.
Because the theater has a formal nature to it as well, this is a perfectly appropriate occasion to dust off your heels and ties. There are plenty of people who attend the performance, creating a great atmosphere that is very enjoyable to watch as they interact and enjoy the performance.
The theater is located just off La Mirada Boulevard, less than a ten-minute walk from campus, so it is a perfect activity for the truly broke. It is so close to campus that driving is not necessary. It is also close enough to campus that you can grab food from the Caf beforehand.
The show starts at 8 p.m., but because there is no reserved seating, I recommend you get there early to make sure you get a seat, and dress is generally semi-formal.
