Coming Soon: Rio Reveals
I consider myself fairly familiar with the LA River, mostly the stretch from Burbank to Elysian Park. The bike path along that section is one of the most common routes for my triathlon training. Contrary to its reputation, the LA River (this section at least) is not just a concrete trough. It’s got a natural river bottom, allowing plants and trees to grow on islands in the river. It’s also a fantastic home for waterfowl, including sandpipers, coots, cormorants, egrets, and my favorite, herons. I know a kayak company operates in this section of river, and people fish there too. People are already using the river for recreation, and that’s about to be kicked up a notch.
More than 40 artists from a wide variety of backgrounds are joining forces to reimagine the LA River as an entertainment/artistic/immersive venue. They promise “more than a series of shows.” This new organization is called Rio Reveals and is “a partnership of non-profit (River LA) and a team of immersive artists (13Exp) to reimagine how we build resources together. Rio Reveals simultaneously creates jobs for artists and a sustainable fundraising resource for the future of the river.”
So many site-specific experiences have been shut down due to COVID this year. Rio Reveals has two advantages to overcome this. First, the river is obviously outdoors. Second, they have had a lot of time to plan for the situation and promise to be “COVID-safe” right in the headline of their press release. They are planning long-term, which is necessary for this multi-year project that will encompass a variety of different experiences. Leading the creation of the campaign is Mikhael Tara Garver, known for being the director of “Sleep No More” in New York. I haven’t been to “Sleep No More,” but its reputation is stellar. It’s essentially the granddaddy of Immersive Entertainment as I’ve come to know it.
The project officially kicked off in October with “Firefly Nights,” an in-person preview for select media and donors. The second event, open to the public, is called “Rio Records” and “combines art, music, history, design and storytelling into a collaborative, immersive online adventure for 100 guests per interactive performance.”
This description makes me very curious and a bit confused. No mention of the river, or “in-person” experience. It sounds entirely online, which I don’t understand when the main feature and selling point is the LA River itself. Plus, many of the advance pictures show performers at the water’s edge. Perhaps we will only be able to watch them virtually and not in person? I hope not, but time will tell what the experience is really like.
Currently, “Rio Records” is scheduled to run five shows per week, from November 19th to December 22nd. Tickets are available here and are $40, but there is a $25 Early Bird option, as well as a $300 VIP option. Plus they’re accepting reservations for company holiday parties. Which sounds like it would be a pretty cool break from typical office stuffiness.
Because I know the LA River can be surprisingly beautiful and because I miss immersive entertainment, AND because I’m a big supporter of environmental causes, I’m genuinely excited for Rio Reveals. I’m wary that the “Rio Records” experience will be online only, although that may just be a concession to COVID times. Maybe it will turn into a live experience after the pandemic passes. They are promising a multi-year project after all, so there is also the potential for future experiences to take more advantage of the physical location. This first experience will be an experiment…and a welcome one.
