Away MissionsCaptain's LogEvents

Angeles beams down to Walt Disney Concert Hall

By Fleet Capt. Dave Mason

Commanding Officer

LOS ANGELES – The Walt Disney Concert Hall is an adventure straight out of the future.

USS Angeles members discovered that when we toured the 25th-century “Star Trek: Picard” filming site June 9. Opened in 2003, the downtown Los Angeles auditorium is part of The Music Center of Los Angeles County.

It was built on an empty parking lot after Lillian Disney, Walt Disney’s widow, made an initial gift of $50 million.

The trip to the Walt Disney Concert Hall was among this year’s USS Angeles away missions, which have varied from a holodeck adventure at Sandbox VR to a “Star Wars” exhibit at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum. Future away missions include the Warner Bros. Studio Tour on July 28.

At the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Jeremy Kranz, Cassie Queen, Joe Queen, Lili Queen, Bertha (Cassie’s maternal grandmother) and I took a free self-guided tour. Jeremy, our First Officer, led the mission.

The tour led us around the five floors of the distinctive building with a reflective steel exterior that renowned architect Frank Gehry designed to look like sails.

Please see the next edition of Angels Flight, our award-winning newsletter, for the complete story and more photos of the concert hall tour. The newsletter, which will be distributed by June 30 and features news about all of our activities, goes to USS Angeles members. To become one, click on Join us.

First Officer Jeremy Kranz visits the auditorium at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Jeremy led the June 9 away mission. (Photos by Dave Mason/USS Angeles/Angels Flight)
Cassie Queen and Jeremy Kranz walk by the Walt Disney Concert Hall, a “Star Trek: Picard” and “Orville” filming site.
Berta, Cassie Queen’s maternal grandmother, stands next to A Rose for Lilly, the fountain honoring Walt Disney Concert Hall benefactor Lillian Disney.
Cassie Queen sits in the main auditorium of the Walt Disney Concert Hall.
The BP Hall serves as a site for pre-concert talks at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. The dark brown areas along the walls at the bottom left are perforated acoustic panels.

Dave Mason

Commanding officer of the USS-Angeles Rank Fleet Captain