Written by Nick Roy
Directed by Matthew Namik
Convert imagines a world where being gay is no longer accepted, and new technological advances in conversion therapy keep young gay men trapped in heteronormative simulation worlds in an attempt to change them for “good”. The status quo has a glitch in the form of Lennox, a seemingly unconvertible gay man, who dreams of his past every night, and will stop at nothing to find his lover and keep his truth intact.
The New Works Festival is supported in part by a Community Arts Grant from the City of Burbank.

Convert imagines a world where being gay is no longer accepted, and new technological advances in conversion therapy keep young gay men trapped in heteronormative simulation worlds in an attempt to change them for “good”. The status quo has a glitch in the form of Lennox, a seemingly unconvertible gay man, who dreams of his past every night, and will stop at nothing to find his lover and keep his truth intact.

Purposefully prolific and creatively visionary, Jon Batiste has channeled his transformative musical gifts into nine studio albums, an Oscar-winning film score, a symphony, a Grammy-winning documentary, and countless musical projects and collaborations. He released 2025’s Big Money—which Rolling Stone called “a deeply enjoyable left turn towards roots music”—off the back of his Maestro Tour (which included a stop at Walt Disney Concert Hall), an acclaimed Super Bowl performance, and his 2024 solo piano album Beethoven Blues, which topped the Billboard Classical Crossover and Classical Albums charts for nine consecutive weeks. Showing no sign of slowing down, Batiste continues to reach back into his cultural roots, reworking the sounds of many musical traditions and propelling them forward in a celebration of collective expression. Featuring cross-genre explorations through jazz, rock ‘n’ roll, gospel, blues, classical music, and sounds from around the world, Batiste’s Hollywood Bowl headlining debut promises to be a joyful, virtuosic, and spiritually transcendent entry into his expansive musical world.

6:00 PM pre-concert events 8:00 PM concert Taking a cue from her 2024 London show emajendat, acclaimed visual artist Lauren Halsey turns the Bowl into a vibrant, immersive world—complete with a technicolor stage set designed exclusively for the Bowl and headliners Erykah Badu and The Alchemist. The legendary R&B singer and the hip-hop producer roll into the Bowl with anticipation high for their collaborative album Before the World Blows. When Billboard saw the duo together last year, they said, “The Alchemist’s dusty, vibey production is a perfect fit for Badu’s soulful, effortless cool.” The Dallas Observer called them “two folks who are bold risk takers with crazy tenure doing it for the love of music.” Plus, DJ Pee .Wee (Anderson .Paak) spins a set, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea gets in on the action, and visual artist Charles Gaines and his Collective join up with LA jazz group Black Nile and Devin Daniels. Lauren Halsey’s maximalist, multicolored sculptures and architectural works are rooted in the imagination and visual language of South Central Los Angeles. Her work appears in the collections of MOCA, the Guggenheim Museum, and the Whitney Museum, and she’s shown large-scale work at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Venice Biennale. One night. One massive, immersive experience. This is unlike anything you’ve ever seen at the Bowl.

When salsa took over New York City—and then the world—in the 1970s, Rubén Blades was at the heart of it. His landmark albums in classic Afro-Cuban salsa are touched with rock, jazz, and influences from across Latin America and around the world. The 12-time Grammy and 13-time Latin Grammy winner brings a political conscience and sense of connection to his music that still gets people grooving; just ask the rock, reggaeton, hip-hop, and salsa artists who call him an inspiration today. The Panamanian legend returns with Roberto Delgado & Orquestra, presenting his latest production, Fotografías, and hits from across his career. Silvana Estrada sings from down deep, telling her soulful coming-of-age stories in a voice that embraces the legacy of Latin American song and carries into the 21st century. Playing the Venezuelan cuatro guitar, she sings iconoclastic tales that cut straight to the heart. She’s performed and recorded with artists including Natalia Lafourcade (who, like Silvana, grew up outside Veracruz) as well as Andrew Bird, Devendra Banhart, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The 2022 Latin Grammy winner for Best New Artist released her second album Vendrán Suaves Lluvias in 2025 to great acclaim, including from Pitchfork, which said it “grapples with heartbreak, mourning, and the desperate necessity of forward motion.”

The Opening Reception is on Friday, October 2, from 7:00 to 9:00 pm, and will include music and light refreshments.
Eric M. Renard is a Los Angeles based fine art photographer and one of California’s leading contemporary artists. His passion for photography was ignited at Tufts University in Boston, where he studied photography under Siegfried Halus. After graduating, Eric worked as an architectural/real estate photographer in San Francisco before moving to Los Angeles, where he works as a Creative Director for advertising.
His most recent solo show “Retrospective Hindsight” invited viewers to embark on a twenty five year journey through the evolution of his distinctive style. This exhibition was not just a collection of photographs. It was a narrative capturing the essence of transformation, introspection, and the pursuit of creativity.
“Retrospective Hindsight” embodied a reflection on the past and a lens into the future. The exhibition showcased a carefully curated selection of work spanning two decades and illustrating the artist’s growth and shifts in style, technique, and thematic focus. From the early days of experimentation to the refinement of a distinctive voice, each piece tells its own story while contributing to the overarching narrative of evolution through current work.
Eric has also curated several photography exhibitions including, Photography Unveiled in April 2026, the Black White Captures of the World exhibition, which included photographers from Argentina, Belgium, Ecuador, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iran, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, the UK and across the United States. This very unique exhibition showcased some of today’s best photographers from across the globe and was displayed at both The Artists Gallery in Los Angeles in 2024 and OC Camera on 2025.
Eric M. Renard’s previous exhibitions “Slice of Light”, “Nobody Walks in L.A.”, “Soul of a City” and “Urbanity in Black and White” focused on high contrast, urban cityscapes, reflecting an eerie sense of peace and tranquility. The cityscape is the hero in these exhibitions, with the people subject to the power of their surroundings.
The “Nobody Walks in L.A.” 2023 solo exhibition ran at the Sasse Museum of Art in Pomona. The song “Walking in L.A.” by the new wave band Missing Persons, poked fun at Los Angeles in 1982 for its dependence on cars with the refrain — “Nobody Walks in L.A.”. Forty years later, the world still thinks we don’t walk but we do and we also saunter, stroll, and strut our stuff on bikes and scooters wherever we go. In this series of images we explore the unique architecture of Los Angeles, some of it loved, some of it hated and some of it completely unnoticed.
Eric M. Renard’s photography has found its way into art galleries in London, Paris, Barcelona, Budapest, Athens, Mexico, Brazil, New York, Texas, Oregon, Minnesota, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Connecticut and across California. His photography has received numerous Best of Show awards and has been published in both books and photography magazines, including the cover of Black & White magazine.
He is co-president of The Artists Gallery in Los Angeles, the Exhibition Chair for the California Art League, and on the Board of Directors for the SFVACC

Six friends gather for a night of flirtation and heated debate over love, human instinct, and romantic rivalry-until someone discovers that a dick pic has secretly been taken on one of their phones, sending the evening spiraling into a frenzied, tension-escalating whodunnit. This new comedy by Daniel Bruckner will have two staged readings with a cast of actors with credits including Euphoria, The Pitt, True Detective, Winning Time, The Rookie, Modern Family, Gaslit, and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.
A Q&A follows each performance, giving audience members an opportunity to participate in the development of the new work.
FREE — Reservations recommended

Friday is for starting the weekend the lots of laughter!
WHO IS PERFORMING? Lineups are posted on Instagram.
The Nightcap is an intimate comedy club in Burbank that features the best comedians from HBO, Netflix, and Showtime. This hidden gem combines the charm of an old-school speakeasy with the excitement of live stand-up comedy, often featuring big names alongside emerging stars. The cozy setting makes each show feel special, and the small space creates a unique, underground vibe.

“The Burbank Book Festival is a one-day celebration of books, authors, and the power of stories to bring people together. Join us on Saturday, October 3, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Buena Vista Branch Library for this free, community-focused event featuring local and visiting authors, book signings, panels, vendors, and opportunities for readers of all ages to discover new stories and connect with the people who create them. Come celebrate diverse voices, a lifelong love of reading, and Burbank’s vibrant literary community!”

Every Saturday the lineups are STACKED with the funniest in the city
WHO IS PERFORMING? Lineups are posted on Instagram.
The Nightcap is an intimate comedy club in Burbank that features the best comedians from HBO, Netflix, and Showtime. This hidden gem combines the charm of an old-school speakeasy with the excitement of live stand-up comedy, often featuring big names alongside emerging stars. The cozy setting makes each show feel special, and the small space creates a unique, underground vibe.