What to Know
- "Frankenstein," presented by LA Opera
- The Theatre at Ace Hotel on Oct. 28 and 29, 2022
- Limited tickets are still available
Watching a well-known character from a novel move into the realm of film and then, soon after, into the rest of the world, transforming from a literary figure to a seen-everywhere icon?
To consider the entire arc of Frankenstein's monster, and how he began as a creation of author Mary Shelley and then, just over 13 decades later, found superstardom as a horror legend on the early Universal Pictures line-up, would mean tracing his terrifying tale back over the last two-plus centuries.
Today, we see this tall, lumbering, bolt-boasting fellow everywhere: Decorating homes in October, on the front of brightly hued candy packages, and just about any place where an instantly recognizable character is required.
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
You can't time-travel back to the early 19th century when Ms. Shelley wrote "Frankenstein," nor the early '30s when the film, starring Boris Karloff, was made, but you can make your way to a local time machine of sorts for a sepia-toned, ultra-atmospheric evening of cinema.
For LA Opera is presenting the movie at The Theatre at Ace Hotel on Oct. 28 and 29, meaning you'll be watching it in a baroquely realized space that was built just a few years before Universal's "Frankenstein" was filmed.
It's a storied spot to revisit the vintage flick, which will be accompanied by a live orchestra composed and conducted by Michael Shapiro.
The Scene
Want to find new things to do in Los Angeles? The Scene's lifestyle stories have you covered. Here's your go-to source on where the fun is across SoCal and for the weekend.
"This 1931 masterpiece of horror was originally released without a musical score, which inspired composer Michael Shapiro to fill in the void by creating an original new soundtrack," shares the LA Opera.
Fresh music for a film that will mark its centennial in fewer than 10 years feels like a new and thrilling chapter in the arc of Frankenstein's monster, a character who has bewitched readers and rapt audiences through the ages by raising questions of life, death, and immortality.
There are a few tickets left for both screenings; find out how to purchase yours now.
