February 6, 2018
Mr Porter and Net-A-Porter are sponsors of Letters Live in Los Angeles Feb. 26. Image credit: Mr Porter
British retailers Mr Porter and Net-A-Porter are bringing the United Kingdom’s Letters Live show stateside to Los Angeles Feb. 26.
Letters Live is an acclaimed show in the U.K., but has yet to premiere in the U.S. until now. The Los Angeles showing, held at the Theatre at the Ace Hotel, will benefit local charity 826LA and Women for Women International nonprofits.
“We’re very excited about our first public performance of Letters Live in Los Angeles and are delighted to be presenting it in partnership with Net-A-Porter and Mr Porter,” said Jamie Byng, founders of Letters Live, in a statement.
“Letters Live is a unique entertainment experience, one which combines great talent, remarkable letters and awareness for important local and global charity work, all culminating in unforgettable evenings that celebrate the humble letter and its immense power,” he said.
“Bringing Letters Live to a city with such a rich tradition of performance and writers is a thrilling prospect and I am certain it is going to be a night to remember.”
I’m writing you a letter
The premise of Letters Live brings together deceased or living influencers with present-day luminaries in a personal way through written letters that have been unearthed.
Over the years, Letters Live has presented the written thoughts of authors and actresses to singers and advocates for social justice.
Subjects of Letters Live include figures as diverse as David Bowie, Bette Davis, Mohandas Gandhi, Maya Angelou, Elvis Presley, Janis Joplin, Tom Hanks, Charlotte Bronte, Richard Burton, Katherine Hepburn, James Baldwin and Che Guevara, for example.
The unearthed letters of these figures are then put in the hands of actors who convey the personal thoughts and messages of these individuals.
Participants include Benedict Cumberbatch, Carey Mulligan, Elizabeth Banks, Jude Law, Colin Firth, Gillian Anderson, Ian McKellan, Mary J. Blige, Oscar Isaac, Russell Brand, Thandie Newton, Tom Hiddleston, Sally Hawkins, Stephen Fry, Olivia Coleman, Sir Ben Kingsley, JJ Abrams, Riz Ahmed, Juliet Stevenson, Kylie Minogue, Danny Huston and Ian McShane.
Letters Live LA | Tickets on sale now!
The concept of Letters Live is a show like no other, and takes audience members on a journey through time. As the form of handwritten letter begins to disappear in favor of digital communication methods, Letters Live makes viewers “appreciate the humble letter like never before.”
Tickets for Letters Live in Los Angeles Feb. 26, in partnership with Mr Porter and Net-A-Porter, range from $50 to $200.
All profits from ticket sales will be split between Los Angeles’ 826LA, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting student creativity and writing skills and Women for Women International, a humanitarian organization that provides practical and moral support to female survivors of war.
“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Letters Live for its first public event in the U.S.,” said Jeremy Langmead, brand and content director of Mr Porter, in a statement.
“Letters Live offers such a novel approach to theatre, mixing mediums and performers in such a quixotic and creative manner that no two performances are alike,” he said. “I have been lucky enough to attend several performances in London, and so have experienced first-hand what wild and beautiful evening Letters Live is.
“We’re honored to be helping introduce the show to like-minded audiences in Los Angeles as well as supporting these two great charities in the process.”
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