About this Performance

AMERICA(!) THE BEAUTIFUL(?) is an immersive evening of performance and civic imagination. Curated and hosted by artist and cultural strategist Marc Bamuthi Joseph, this event brings together multidisciplinary artists who’ve been tasked with creating a set that answers one question: “When in your American life have you felt most free?”

Acclaimed poet and musician aja monet, joined by a live band, headlines the night blending jazz, soul, and spoken word. Much like her 2023 album When the Poems Do What They Do, which Exclaim! magazine called “a roadmap to somewhere greater,” monet’s performance moves between tenderness and power, inviting audiences into radical love and a renewed sense of freedom.

The experience begins early. Audiences arrive to a live DJ set by Kai the Universe, followed by a performance by Xiuhtezcatl—the indigenous hip-hop artist and climate justice activist who channels ancestral knowledge, resistance, and hope. His music pulses with urgency and possibility, grounding the audience in rhythm and purpose while calling listeners deeper into awareness.

AMERICA(!) THE BEAUTIFUL(?) is part of a six-city roadshow series unfolding over two years with Los Angeles being the debut city. Each event anchors the experience in a core American question, creating regionally rooted performances that contribute to a larger national narrative about democracy and belonging. As the series travels across the country, it weaves together local voices and cultural strategies into a shared story of who we are and who we are becoming.

This performance is supported in part by the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture.

Programs, artists, dates, prices, and availability subject to change. Ticket limits may apply. All sales are final.