3 Reasons To Go To Love Actually Live!

This holiday season, I had the incredible opportunity to experience Love Actually Live right here in Los Angeles and I absolutely LOVED IT!

Do let me preface this with the fact that upon attending this live production of Love Actually, I had never actually seen the original motion picture. I know it’s considered to be a classic at this point and is a staple of the holiday season, but for some reason, I just hadn’t gotten around to putting it on. Regardless, I found that it wasn’t to my total disadvantage to see the live theatrical performance of Love Actually first. In fact, I’m quite glad that I experienced it in this way as a first-timer because it allowed me the opportunity to see it in a light that I had never heard or seen of before.

Now that you have my backstory of how I was essentially a Love Actually virgin, let me give you a little bit of information about the show, and then I’ll jump into the three reasons why you should buy tickets and go watch the show this holiday season.

Love Actually Live is a first-of-its-kind, theatrical, cinematic experience that brings the classic world of Love, Actually to the stage of the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. This production is incredibly unique in the way that it encapsulates the audience into a three-dimensional world in which film and live-action seamlessly intertwine throughout the London setting of the original film. As adequately put in the press release for this event, “iconic scenes displayed on screens that travel throughout the set share the stage with an all-star cast of singers and live orchestra.” 

Essentially, Love Actually Live gives you the best of the original motion picture with added live musical numbers that enhance the overall message and enjoyment of the flick. This show premiered at The Wallis on December 1st and runs through December 31, so if just the description of the event was enough to hook you, you better grab your tickets for an upcoming show while you can! If you still need a little convincing, don’t worry, I got you. Here are the three reasons why you should go see Love Actually Live this holiday season.

Reason No. 1 - The Cast is PHENOMENAL

If there was one thing I knew about the original Love Actually movie, it’s that it wasn't a musical. However, Love Actually Live is very much a musical and the ensemble was more than I could have ever hoped for! I looked into the show before attending and I learned that a lot of the hubbub had to deal with how amazing the cast was. For instance, Broadway and television star Aaron Lazar plays Colin Firth’s character, Jamie, and Brian McKnight’s son, Brian McKnight Jr. as Peter! In addition to this, Citizen Queen member, Nina Nelson, joined the cast along with many other talented actors, actresses, and musicians! All of this name-dropping just to tell you that the musicality of this performance had me HOOKED and locked in throughout the entire performance. The ensemble completely slayed their performances and left me with hands sore from how much clapping I was doing all performance long. 

Reason No. 2 - It’s a New Spin to the Classic Holiday Movie You Know and Love

When you’ve seen a movie upwards of 10 times, like I’m sure many of you have done with the Love Actually original motion picture, sometimes you feel like you need a new perspective. That new perspective is exactly what Love Actually Live will give you. 

Love Actually Live shows scenes of the original movie alongside dance and musical numbers that only expand on the scenes that you’ve already seen a million times. By doing this, it offers a new, fresh perspective of this classic holiday movie and makes it feel like you’re seeing it for the first time again. Or, if you’re like me, it’s like you’re seeing the movie for the first time, actually! 

Reason No. 3 - It’s The Perfect Excuse for a Festive, Holiday Night Out

If you’re like me, and spent the majority of the pandemic shopping online uncontrollably, and have an entire closet full of eveningwear and pretty dresses or whatever it may be that’s significantly fancier than your regular WFH attire, then consider going to love actually live as your excuse to finally put on that amazing outfit you’ve been dying to show off. Nothing says fluffy fur coat and sequin dress with matching heels like going for a date night with your boo at the theater. Especially when that theater happens to be The Wallis and is located in Beverly Hills! We have been cooped up in our homes for so long, you deserve this night out on the town! So click here to buy your tickets to Love Actually Live, make your pre-show dinner reservations at a restaurant in Beverly Hills, and break out your sparkly dress because it’s time for you to enjoy the musical and theatrical genius that is Love Actually Live!

Special thank you to the Love Actually Live & The Wallis team for inviting me to experience this event. Don’t forget to follow along with Borderline Millennials on Instagram to stay up to date on all that’s fun and happening in Los Angeles from the perspective of a mid-90s baby! Catch y’all at the next event!