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  • BUGS BUNNY AT THE SYMPHONY RETURNS TO HOLLYWOOD BOWL TO CELEBRATE BUGS BUNNY'S 85TH ANNIVERSARY AND THE CONCERTS 35TH
  • Jun. 5, 2025
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    LOS ANGELES (June 4, 2025)—Looney Tunes will take the Hollywood Bowl by storm on Friday and Saturday, July 11 and 12, as the beloved film-and-live-orchestra concert Bugs Bunny at the Symphony returns to the world-famous venue just in time to celebrate Bugs Bunny’s 85th Anniversary, and the concert’s 35th! 

    To ring in the momentous occasion, conductor/co-creator George Daugherty will lead the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra as a record 17 spectacular classic Looney Tunes are projected on the Bowl’s big screens, while the dazzling and iconic original scores of Carl Stalling and Milt Franklyn, inspired by the great masters of classical music, are played live. Onscreen, Bugs is joined in his unforgettable musical exploits by cohorts Elmer Fudd, Daffy Duck, Wile E. Coyote, Road Runner, Michigan J. Frog, and many others.

    In addition to the animation on the big screens, these festive performances will feature two special guest artists onstage, Looney Tunes voiceover actors Eric Bauza and Bob Bergen. Bauza has won three Emmy Awards and been nominated for 5 others, and his extensive voiceover work has received rave reviews and accolades, most recently for the Looney Tunes feature film The Day The Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie, and for Looney Tunes Cartoons. He most recently voiced several of the Looney Tunes characters in the wildly-anticipated soon-to-be-released feature Coyote vs. Acme. Five-time Emmy-nominated actor Bob Bergen announced to his parents when he was five that he wanted to be Porky Pig. He was determined, and it came to pass. Bergen has since voiced thousands of feature films, television episodes, commercials, video games, and more, in the voices of countless characters, but with a specialty as none other than Porky Pig.  

    Created by Primetime Emmy winners / multiple Emmy nominees Daugherty and David Ka Lik Wong, Bugs Bunny at the Symphony has been touring the world with major symphony orchestras and at iconic venues since 1990, when the production first sold-out Broadway’s Gershwin Theatre as Bugs Bunny On Broadway. It was, in fact, one of the very first “film-and-live-orchestra” concerts to appear with worldclass symphony orchestras, and was pivotal in helping create an entirely new concert genre. Since then, the concert has played to sold-out houses and rave reviews around the globe, to millions of fans with hundreds of orchestras and venues ranging from the Los Angeles Philharmonic to The New York Philharmonic to The Boston Pops to The Philadelphia Orchestra to The Royal Philharmonic . . . from the Hollywood Bowl to the Sydney Opera House to Royal Festival Hall to David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center. Bugs Bunny at the Symphony’s reach has far exceeded the U.S., with repeat/return appearances in Canada, Mexico, Europe, Asia, South America, and elsewhere.

    The concert has played at the Hollywood Bowl in 15 past performances prior to this season, and according to Daugherty and Wong, the Bowl occupies a uniquely special place in the heart of this production. “If any place is ‘home’ to these unforgettable ‘rabbit vs. classical music’ exploits, it is the Hollywood Bowl!” said Daugherty. “After all, the Bowl and Warner Bros. have always been neighbors. But more than that, several of the animated shorts in our concert are actually set in an ‘animated Hollywood Bowl,’ most famously Long Haired-Hare, where Bugs (dressed as Leopold Stokowski) and operatic buffa baritone Giovanni Jones cause the Bowl to come crashing down in a thunderous finale. Stokowski was once music director of the Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra, and this scene alone makes seeing these shorts AT the Hollywood Bowl – with the Bowl literally up there on the silver screens -- a completely exhilarating experience!”

    This latest version of Bugs Bunny at the Symphony pairs 17 brilliant, iconic Looney Tunes shorts projected on the big screen, including not only Long-Haired-Hare, but also What’s Opera, Doc?, The Rabbit of Seville, Baton Bunny, Zoom and Bored, Corny Concerto, High Note, Rhapsody Rabbit, One Froggy Evening, and other classic shorts set to Stalling’s and Franklyn’s brilliant full orchestra scores – the most-ever shorts to be included in the concert. Among the 17 titles of this new ultimate edition are animated shorts not ever seen before at the Bowl, including a brand-new Looney Tune celebrating Bugs Bunny’s 85th birthday, as well as Dynamite Dance and Wet Cement, (all three with new scores by composer Carl Johnson); and a trio of new 3D Wile E. Coyote / Road Runner shorts, with new scores by composer Christopher Lennertz.

    For Daugherty, the greatest joy of this experience, over the past 35 years, is the way these Looney Tunes shorts play to audiences of every age. “When we were all growing up and watching Looney Tunes on Saturday morning, we didn’t realize we were also getting a masterclass in classical music,” says Daugherty. “Bugs Bunny at the Symphony is the perfect opportunity to bring today’s kids to the symphony orchestra and introduce them to the beauty of classical music while getting a hilarious twist from Bugs Bunny and his cohorts. More importantly, it’s a chance for adults of all ages to rekindle their affection for these brilliantly animated shorts and relive a truly nostalgic and magical part of their own childhoods. We frequently see multi-generational families – children, parents, grandparents, even great-grandparents – all coming together to experience this concert. And that’s why I have been conducting it for so long, now for three and a half decades. This concert is completely unique in its ability to bring everyone together for two hours of dazzling animation and equally-dazzling music. What could be better?”

    The Hollywood Bowl presentations of Bugs Bunny at the Symphony will also feature audience photo ops with Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck characters from Six Flags Magic Mountain, and pre-show/intermission animation art workstations and activities provided by Chuck Jones Center for Creativity. An Academy Award winner and multiple Oscar nominee, the late Chuck Jones directed most of the cartoons found in Bugs Bunny at the Symphony, and through his ongoing Center for Creativity, children of all ages can learn how the animation process works. 

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    LOONEY TUNES and all related characters and elements © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (s25)

    Programs, artists, prices, and dates subject to change. Ticket limits may apply.

    For additional information, please visit: http://www.hollywoodbowl.com/

    For additional information about Bugs Bunny at the Symphony please visit

    http://www.bugsbunnyatthesymphony.net

    ABOUT GEORGE DAUGHERTY

    George Daugherty has conducted more than 250 American and international orchestras, and also earned a Primetime Emmy Award, five other Emmy nominations, and numerous other awards for his work in television and film. He has been a frequent guest conductor of The New York Philharmonic, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Boston Pops, Pittsburgh Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Danish National Symphony, l’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Hong Kong Philharmonic, and the Vancouver, Toronto, Calgary, Winnipeg, Edmonton, and NAC symphony orchestras, among many. He has conducted the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl 22 times (as well as the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra), and the National Symphony 20 times at Wolf Trap. He has been a frequent guest conductor at the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Symphony Orchestra, with The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra in London, and on tour throughout the UK, plus to the United States and Canada conducting A Royal Christmas for Dame Julie Andrews. Christopher Plummer, and The Royal Ballet. A noted conductor of ballet and opera, he has conducted for American Ballet Theatre, Bavarian Staatsoper and Ballet, La Scala Ballet, Teatro Regio di Torino, Teatro Bellas Artes, and numerous other companies, and has been music director of Ballet Chicago, Chicago City Ballet, Louisville Ballet, and Ballet San Jose, among many. George Daugherty and producing partner David Ka Lik Wong received Primetime Emmys as executive producers of ABC’s animation-and-live action production of Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, which Daugherty also directed, wrote, and conducted, and for which he was also Emmy- nominated for Outstanding Music Direction. Daugherty and Wong were also executive producers and writers of the PBS/Sesame Workshop children’s series Sagwa, The Chinese Siamese Cat, and both received Emmy nominations for Rhythm & Jam, their series of ABC network music education specials.

    ABOUT DAVID KA LIK WONG

    David Ka Lik Wong is a Prime Time Emmy Award winner, a three-time Emmy nominee, has created programming and concerts on Broadway, and for scores of the greatest symphony orchestras and concert venues in the world, from the Hollywood Bowl to the New York Philharmonic to the Sydney Opera House, and together with George Daugherty has produced, written, and created a slate of critically-acclaimed television programs and movies for Warner Bros., ABC/Disney, Sesame Workshop, PBS, and other major studios and networks. Wong was executive producer and writer of the PBS/Sesame Workshop children’s series Sagwa, The Chinese Siamese Cat, and also received an Emmy nomination for Rhythm & Jam, the series of ABC network music education specials. He has been the co-creator, producer, technical/stage director, and Director of Production of Bugs Bunny at the Symphony since the concert’s creation in 1990.

    ABOUT THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL 

    One of the largest natural amphitheaters in the world, with a seating capacity of nearly 18,000, the Hollywood Bowl has been the summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic since its official opening in 1922 and plays host to the finest artists from all genres of music. For over a century, the Bowl has been a Los Angeles County public park, operated in partnership with the LA Phil to welcome visitors from all over the world. It remains one of the best deals anywhere in Los Angeles; to this day, $1 buys a seat at the top of the Bowl for many classical and jazz performances. In February 2025, the Hollywood Bowl was awarded the Outdoor Concert Venue of the Year award at the 36th Annual Pollstar Awards, an honor bestowed 17 previous times. For millions of music lovers across Southern California, the Hollywood Bowl is synonymous with summer. hollywoodbowl.com

    ABOUT WARNER BROS. DISCOVERY GLOBAL EXPERIENCES

    Warner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences (WBDGE) is a worldwide leader in the creation, development, licensing and operating of location-based entertainment based on the biggest franchises, stories, and characters from Warner Bros.’ world-renowned film, television, animation, and games studios, HBO, Discovery, Cartoon Network and more. WBDGE is home to the groundbreaking locations of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal theme parks around the world, award-winning Warner Bros. Studio Tour locations in London, Hollywood, and Tokyo, the iconic Harry Potter New York flagship store, Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi, The WB Abu Dhabi, The FRIENDS Experience, The Game of Thrones Studio Tour and countless other experiences inspired by Harry Potter, DC, Looney Tunes, Scooby-Doo, Game of Thrones, FRIENDS and more. WBDGE is part of Warner Bros. Discovery’s Revenue & Strategy division.

    ABOUT LOONEY TUNES

    Looney Tunes is a zany world filled with iconic characters like Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tweety, and Lola Bunny and packed with rapid-fire humor, clever references and boundless energy. Debuting as theatrical shorts nearly a century ago, Looney Tunes has evolved into a global pop culture powerhouse spanning feature films, television series, games, consumer products, themed entertainment and more.

    ABOUT THE CHUCK JONES CENTER FOR CREATIVITY

    The Chuck Jones Center for Creativity is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) public charity based in Orange County, California. Founded in 1999 by legendary four-time Academy Award-winning animation director Chuck Jones, the Center is dedicated to nurturing the creative spirit in people of all ages. Through hands-on arts programs, creativity workshops, exhibitions, film festivals, and educational events, the Center provides dynamic opportunities to explore and develop individual creativity.

  • Contact:

    Hollywood Bowl: Leah Price, leah.price@laphil.org

    Hollywood Bowl: Laura Cohen, lcohen@laphil.org

    Warner Bros. Discovery Global Experiences: Lindsay.Kiesel@wbd.com