Tara Lynn Wagner

Burbank

Multimedia Journalist at Spectrum News 1 SoCal

Multimedia Journalist at Spectrum News 1 LA-West

Reporter. Producer. Editor. Baker. Musical Theatre Fan. Mom of Two Glorious Kiddos. Obsessed with succulents. I cover theatre and wildlife. @specnews1socal

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Articles

Geffen Playhouse seeks to reset stage for formerly incarcerated individuals

2 days ago | spectrumnews1.com | Tara Lynn Wagner

LOS ANGELES — When a.k. payne was a middle school student in Pittsburgh, one of their plays was presented as part of a Young Playwrights Festival at City Theater. "I remember sitting in the audience at 12, and I was like, 'I want to do this,'" they said. What You Need To Know"Furlough’s Paradise," which is having its West Coast premiere at the Geffen Playhouse, explores issues of family, grief and incarceration.
After losing home in Palisades Fire, couple finds laughter on stage

5 days ago | spectrumnews1.com | Tara Lynn Wagner

LOS ANGELES — As soon as the lights come up on the new play “Fostered,” Terry Davis is in motion — whirling about physically while her mind is making mile-a-minute plans for a big move. “Hawaii,” she sings from her couch, dreaming of a quiet life on the beach. But her carefree attitude on stage is most definitely a feat of acting. Rewind to early January when she filmed the still smoldering ruins of her home in the Palisades, narrating through choked back tears.
SoCal theaters reeling after sudden loss of NEA funding

5 days ago | spectrumnews1.com | Tara Lynn Wagner

COSTA MESA, Calif. — South Coast Repertory was ready to celebrate the opening of their newest play when they received some unexpected and unwelcome news from the National Endowment for the Arts. “The grant, the $20,000 grant that was approved to support 'The Staircase,' the show that opened on Friday — which was a world premiere — was withdrawn,” David Ivers said.
Preserving Black history, on stage and on the page

6 days ago | spectrumnews1.com | Tara Lynn Wagner

LOS ANGELES — A debate is playing out on the stage at Ebony Repertory Theatre, but it’s definitely not a new one. Sixty years ago, James Baldwin and William F. Buckley Jr. met at Cambridge Union for a historic televised event. The topic: “Has the American dream been achieved at the expense of the American Negro?”Teagle Bougere wants to be clear: He isn’t playing James Baldwin, but he is speaking his exact words.
Pop-up event helps fire victims start next chapter of their lives with new books

1 week ago | spectrumnews1.com | Tara Lynn Wagner

LOS ANGELES — As the host of the weekly literary podcast "The Stacks," Traci Thomas knows how important books can be. In the aftermath of January's wildfires, the attention focused on the immediate needs: food, shelter and clothing. But soon after, she recognized another necessity: getting books back into the hands of fire victims. It is why this past weekend, Thomas helped organize the Stack the Shelves pop-up event.
'You got frescoes': How the Ebell of LA's 90-year-old art mystery was solved

1 week ago | spectrumnews1.com | Tara Lynn Wagner

LOS ANGELES — After nearly a century buried beneath layers of paint, an artistic treasure has been found. Stacy Brightman, executive director of the Ebell of Los Angeles, remembers getting the call from painting conservator Kiernan Graves. “She was like, 'Oh, girl, you got frescoes,'" Brightman said.
Flamenco brings dance and drama to LA Opera's 'Ainadamar'

1 week ago | spectrumnews1.com | Tara Lynn Wagner

LOS ANGELES — The sound of feet isn’t traditionally what you hear at the opera but "Ainadamar" is not your traditional fare. The story centers around the life and death of Spanish Poet Federico García Lorca and the music, by Argentinian composer Osvaldo Golijov, is inspired by flamenco, which infuses every aspect of the production at LA Opera. Choreographer Antonio Najarro has been immersed in flamenco since he was first encountered it in the south of Spain where he grew up.
In LA, Pope Francis is remembered as a compassionate, progressive leader

3 weeks ago | spectrumnews1.com | Tara Lynn Wagner

LOS ANGELES — With song and prayer, Pope Francis was remembered at Our Lady of Angels Cathedral Monday afternoon, less than 24 hours after his death. Archbishop José Gómez spoke of the pontiff not only as a holy leader but as a friend with a hearty sense of humor and a specific vision for the type of work the church should be doing. “The work of mercy, the work of service, the work of loving one another — that’s our beautiful vocation and our mission,” the Archbishop said.
At the Ahmanson, the show goes on for Altadena middle schoolers

3 weeks ago | spectrumnews1.com | Tara Lynn Wagner

LOS ANGELES — Last December, Sutton Foster graced the stage of the Ahmanson in Once Upon a Mattress and 13-year-old Jolie Simmons saw the show — twice. “I never would have thought that, like, a few months later, I would be performing here,” said Simmons.
Palm Spring's Plaza Theatre will reopen in December after major restoration

1 month ago | spectrumnews1.com | Tara Lynn Wagner

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — “From 20 pounds of feathers to a hard hat, I tell you,” Marcia Harp joked as she walked through a hallway full of construction inside the Plaza Theatre. Harp knows this place forwards, backwards and in heels. A former Follies girl, she distinctly remembers clambering up the dark skinny staircase to the stage.