Check It. L.A. Phil Live in movie theaters.

It's been about two years since Gustavo Dudamel premiered as the L.A. Philharmonic's newest musical director, and he's since brought vibrancy to the city's classical music scene. I caught a wonderful performance from him and the Phil last summer at the Hollywood Bowl, and Dudamel surely lived up to the hype.

If you haven't gotten a chance to hit up the Walt Disney Concert Hall or the Bowl to catch a performance, or can't afford fancy seats, here's your chance to see Dudamel in action. He will be conducting an all-Tchaikovsky program this Sunday as part of L.A. Phil Live, which will broadcast the performance in movie theaters across the country. Even just across L.A. County, you'll have a plethora of options among movie theaters (AMC and Rave theaters, mostly). The music this weekend will also be supplemented with performances from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and The Tempest by some well-known actors, like Orlando Bloom and Malcolm McDowell. And on top of all that, you'll see some great behind-the-scenes stuff and get to know Dudamel better through a Q&A.

So really, there's no excuse. Time to check out one of L.A.'s great new music forces, in a fun, interactive way.

L.A. Phil Live is taking place this Sunday, March 13, at 2pm at participating theaters around Los Angeles County. Check here for more info.

-- Chau Tu

Do It. "The Merry Wives of Windsor" at the Broad Stage.

As far as Shakespeare goes, you can't do much better than seeing a show at the recreated Globe Theatre in London. But if you can't quite make it over to the Old Country any time soon, Santa Monica's Broad Stage is offering the next best thing: a run of "The Merry Wives of Windsor."

The production is put on by the Shakespeare's Globe Theatre group, which means that you'll basically be getting the same performers and show as London. It's the first time the group has done an international tour like this, and the Broad Stage is its first stop. And being at the Broad Stage has a major plus -- besides being a pretty nice venue -- you also don't have to worry about being a groundling.

"The Merry Wives of Windsor" runs starting tonight until Oct. 24 at the Broad Stage, located at 1310 11th St. in Santa Monica. Buy your tickets here.

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: Broad Stage