2022-23 series features all-star array of presenters

DISTINGUISHED SPEAKERS

Already well established as a Southern California cultural institution, the Distinguished Speakers Series is now in its second season at the Terrace Theater in Long Beach.

Speakers include Ken Burns, Misty Copeland, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Admiral James Stavridis, Cristina Mittermeier and Bob Eubanks featuring the Ticket to Ride Beatles’ tribute band. The series runs from October 2022 to May 2023 and is sold in subscription packages ranging from $210-$660 for all six evenings. Each presentation begins at 8 p.m.

On six different evenings, the Distinguished Speaker Series will bring neighbors together to hear influential, timely and captivating speakers.

The series kicks off on Oct. 19 with barrier-breaking ballet dancer Misty Copeland.

In a triumphant homecoming to her home state of California, she will share her rise to becoming the first African American female principal dancer with the prestigious American Ballet Theatre.

Neil deGrasse Tyson, the country’s best-known popularizer of science, will take the stage on Nov. 14. Through a powerful narrative, the astrophysicist and current head of the worldrenowned Hayden Planetarium will explore the many intersections between space, science, culture and life itself.

Former Supreme Allied NATO commander and decorated admiral James Stavridis, USN (Ret.), will offer rare and timely insight on the most pressing issues facing the United States and the ever-evolving geopolitical climate, including the War in Ukraine, the role of NATO and its broader impact, U.S. foreign policy and the global marketplace on Jan. 23.

On Feb. 9, National Geographic’s Adventurer of the Year, photographer Cristina Mittermeier, will take audiences on an epic visual journey around the most remote corners of the planet.

Bob Eubanks, who is the man who brought the Beatles to the United States, will share his never-before-heard stories with “a little help from his friends.” Stories will be interlaced with Beatles songs performed live by the tribute band Ticket to Ride on March 13.

The series will conclude with Emmy award-winning documentarian filmmaker Ken Burns on May 1. He will chronicle the aspects of U.S. history that unite Americans.

The Distinguished Speaker Series will be held at the Terrace Theater, 300 E. Ocean Blvd., in Long Beach.

The series is open to the public in subscription packages only; single tickets are not available. Subscriptions can be purchased online at www. speakersla.com or calling (310) 546-6222. The series is generously sponsored by Loyola Marymount University.

Misty Copeland

Neil deGrasse Tyson