{"id":65246,"date":"2024-06-10T12:15:19","date_gmt":"2024-06-10T19:15:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=65246"},"modified":"2024-06-10T12:15:19","modified_gmt":"2024-06-10T19:15:19","slug":"segerstrom-center-for-the-arts-unveils-spectacular-headliners-and-in-conversation-series-for-the-2024-25-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=65246","title":{"rendered":"SEGERSTROM CENTER FOR THE ARTS UNVEILS SPECTACULAR HEADLINERS AND IN CONVERSATION SERIES FOR THE 2024\/25 SEASON"},"content":{"rendered":"

IN CONVERSATION SERIES LINEUP<\/strong><\/u><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Tony Kushner with Frank Rich | Billy Collins |<\/p>\n

Tracy K. Smith | David Grann<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>HEADLINERS SERIES LINEUP<\/strong><\/u><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong>Michael Feinstein in Because of You | RENT In Concert |\u00a0A Broadway 50th Anniversary!\u00a0| Jeremy Jordan<\/p>\n

New subscriptions available at\u00a0scfta.org<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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COSTA MESA, CA |\u00a0<\/strong>Segerstrom Center for the Arts is thrilled to announce an extraordinary lineup of performances as part of our 2024\/25 Headliners and In Conversation Series. With a diverse array of world-class artists and captivating productions, the Center continues its tradition of excellence in presenting unforgettable cultural experiences for audiences of all ages.<\/p>\n

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Renowned for its insightful discussions and captivating dialogue, the Center\u2019s 2024-25 In Conversation series promises to engage and inspire audiences with thought-provoking conversations featuring some of the most prominent voices in literature, journalism and the arts. The series will kick off with Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright\u00a0Tony Kushner<\/strong>, known for his groundbreaking work in theatre, including his esteemed play “Angels in America.”\u00a0The series will also feature\u00a0a fun and fascinating discussion with\u00a0Billy Collins<\/strong>, who the\u00a0New York Times<\/em>\u00a0calls\u00a0\u201cthe most popular poet in America.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Tracy K. Smith<\/strong>, another Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and former U.S. Poet Laureate, will join us to discuss her evocative poetry that delves into themes of identity, history, and the human experience. Rounding out this exceptional lineup is\u00a0David Grann<\/strong>\u00a0whose bestselling books have become the inspiration for several Hollywood movies, including last year\u2019s Oscar-nominated\u00a0Killers of the Flower Moon.<\/em><\/p>\n

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The Center\u2019s 2024-2025 headliner series features an array of sensational performances celebrating music, Broadway, and legendary artists. In a one-night-only concert event,\u00a0Michael Feinstein in Because of You<\/strong>\u00a0pays tribute to Tony Bennett\u2019s illustrious career, including hits such as “Because of You” and “I Left My Heart in San Francisco\u201d accompanied by the Carnegie Hall Big Band. Measure your life in love with\u00a0RENT In Concert<\/strong>, an upcoming 30th\u00a0anniversary celebration, featuring beloved songs from Jonathan Larson’s groundbreaking rock opera performed by a stellar cast.<\/p>\n

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In\u00a0A Broadway 50th Anniversary! What I did for Love\u2026and All That Jazz,<\/strong>\u00a0we\u2019re celebrating the 50th\u00a0anniversary of both\u00a0A Chorus Line<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Chicago<\/em>\u00a0featuring a cast of Broadway luminaries. Back by popular demand,\u00a0Jeremy Jordan<\/strong>\u00a0returns to the Center after selling out multiple dates last season. Jeremy is back to thrill audiences with his incredible voice and charm.<\/p>\n

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Subscriptions for the 2024\/25 In Conversation and Headliners series are available now. Tickets for individual performances will go on sale at a later date. Visit the Center\u2019s website\u00a0www.SCFTA.org<\/u><\/a>\u00a0for more information. For Group sales call (714) 755-0236.<\/p>\n

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2024-25 IN CONVERSATION SERIES LINEUP<\/strong><\/u><\/p>\n

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Tony Kushner with Frank Rich |\u00a0<\/strong>September 30, 2024<\/p>\n

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Tony Kushner has been called America\u2019s most important living playwright and one of the single greatest wordsmiths of all time. On stage, Kushner is best known for his two-part epic,\u00a0Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes<\/em>, which won both the Pulitzer Prime for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play.\u00a0 The play was later adapted into an HBO miniseries by Mike Nichols, for which Kushner earned an Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing.\u00a0 His other plays include\u00a0Homebody\/Kabul<\/em>,\u00a0Slavs!<\/em>,\u00a0A Bright Room Called Day\u00a0<\/em>\u00a0as well as the musical\u00a0Caroline, or Change<\/em>\u00a0and the opera\u00a0A Blizzard on Marblehead Neck<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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Since the start of the 21st<\/sup>\u00a0Century, Kusher has moved to the silver screen, becoming a frequent collaborator with the great director Stephen Spielberg. Together they have worked on films including\u00a0Lincoln<\/em>,\u00a0Munich<\/em>,\u00a0West Side Story<\/em>\u00a0and most recently,\u00a0the Fablemans<\/em>, garnering Kushner 4 Academy Award nominations.<\/p>\n

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Sharing the stage with Kushner in what is sure to be a riveting and thought-provoking discussion is the illustrious drama critic, writer, bestselling author and TV producer Frank Rich.\u00a0 Known for exploring the news through the lens of pop culture, Rich has won Emmy Awards and Peabody Awards for producing\u00a0Veep<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Succession<\/em>\u00a0on HBO.<\/p>\n

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Billy Collins |\u00a0<\/strong>January 13, 2025<\/p>\n

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Billy Collins is an American phenomenon. Not since Robert Frost has anyone managed to combine high critical acclaim with such broad popular appeal; his\u00a0level of fame is almost unprecedented in the world of contemporary poetry.\u00a0His last three collections of poems have broken sales records. His readings are usually standing room only, and his audience \u2013 enhanced tremendously by his appearances on National Public Radio \u2013 includes people of all backgrounds and age groups.<\/p>\n

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The poems themselves best explain this phenomenon.\u00a0Billy Collins makes uncommonly accessible verse \u2013 characterized by plain language, gentle humor, and a sincere appreciation for the mundane. He is famous for conversational, witty poems that welcome readers with humor but often slip into quirky, tender, or profound observation on the everyday, reading and writing, and poetry itself.\u00a0No wonder Collins sees his poetry as \u201ca form of travel writing\u201d and considers humor \u201ca door into the serious.\u201d It is a door that many thousands of readers have opened with amazement and delight.<\/p>\n

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Along with the twelve best-selling volumes of his poetry, Collins also\u00a0served two terms as the US Poet Laureate, from 2001-2003.\u00a0He has been awarded almost every poetry prize under the sun, including being selected\u00a0as the inaugural recipient of the Poetry Foundation\u2019s Mark Twain Award for Humor in Poetry, and\u00a0has received fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Guggenheim Foundation.<\/p>\n

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Collins\u2019 highly anticipated new poetry collection,\u00a0Water, Water<\/em>, debuting in November 2024, is a wondrous collection of poems focused on the joys and mysteries of everyday life!<\/p>\n

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Tracy K. Smith |\u00a0<\/strong>March 3, 2025<\/p>\n

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Since first being published in 2003, Tracy K. Smith has been a writer to watch.\u00a0 Smith\u2019s collection of poetry,\u00a0Life on Mars<\/em>, won the Pulitzer Prize, and her memoir,\u00a0Ordinary Light<\/em>,\u00a0<\/em>was a finalist for the National Book Award for Nonfiction.<\/p>\n

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Regardless of what style she chooses to pursue, her language is forceful, intelligent, and musical.\u00a0 Throughout her career, she has used her craft to frankly ask the questions that have intrigued her the most about our world.<\/p>\n

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Her poems, which delight in humanity\u2019s sprawling yet thrilling range of emotions\u2014love and grief, desire and rage, joy, and hope\u2014often find the political within the personal, beckoning readers to engage with their own curiosities about the narratives they\u2019ve been told about racism, power, and justice.<\/p>\n

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Like the best poets, Smith shows her readers that they share a common foundation and questions how that foundation was laid.\u00a0\u00a0 Dwelling in the threshold between history and the present, Smith has been called our \u201ccountry\u2019s poetic caretaker,\u201d calling for both collective reckoning and collective empathy.<\/p>\n

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A passionate educator and advocate, Smith served two terms as Poet Laureate of the United States, during which time she traveled across America, hosting poetry readings and conversations in rural communities. She currently is a professor of English and of African and African American studies at Harvard.<\/p>\n

David Grann |\u00a0<\/strong>April 16, 2025<\/p>\n

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David Grann is a #1 New York Times bestselling author and an award-winning staff writer at The New Yorker magazine.\u00a0 Known as \u201cthe man Hollywood can\u2019t stop reading,\u201d Grann breathes new life into historical events, gifting his readers factually accurate tales that read like a thrilling work of fiction and that are ripe for adaptation.<\/p>\n

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Grann is the author of Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, which documented one of the most sinister crimes and racial injustices in American history. Described in the New York Times as a \u201criveting\u201d work that will \u201csear your soul,\u201d it was a finalist for the National Book Award and won the Edgar Allen Poe Award for best true crime book. A #1 New York Times bestseller (with over 100 weeks on the list, and counting), it was named one of the best books of the year by the Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Entertainment Weekly, Time, and selected by Amazon as the single best book of the year. The book was adapted into a 2023 motion picture directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone and Robert De Niro, earning 10 Academy Award nominations.<\/p>\n

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Grann\u2019s first book, The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon, was #1 New York Times bestseller and has been translated into more than twenty-five languages. Shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize, it was chosen as one of the best books of 2009 by the New York Times, Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly, and other publications. Grann\u2019s book was adapted into a critically acclaimed film directed by James Gray and starring Charlie Hunnam, Sienna Miller, Robert Pattinson, and Tom Holland.<\/p>\n

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His newest novel, The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder, tells the true saga of a company of British naval officers and crew that became stranded on a desolate island off the coast of Patagonia and descended into murderous anarchy. With the twists and turns of a thriller, the book explores the nature of survival, duty, and leadership, and it examines how both people and nations tell\u2014and manipulate\u2014history.\u00a0 The Wager debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and has remained on the list ever since, often in the top spot.\u00a0\u00a0 Rights to The Wager were acquired prior to the book\u2019s release, with Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio reuniting as director and leading man.<\/p>\n

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24-25 HEADLINERS SERIES LINEUP<\/strong><\/u><\/p>\n

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Michael Feinstein in Because of You |\u00a0<\/strong>October 5, 2024<\/p>\n

<\/a>In this one-night-only concert event, Michael Feinstein pays heartfelt tribute to the legendary Tony Bennett, bringing his iconic songs to life in a symphony of sound, accompanied by the Carnegie Hall Big Band.<\/p>\n

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An artist with a rich history at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Tony Bennett graced our stages 8 times throughout his illustrious career.<\/p>\n

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The performance will feature hits such as “Because of You,\u201d “Rags to Riches,” “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” “The Best is Yet To Come,” “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “Stranger in Paradise” and many more. Feinstein’s dynamic interpretations, coupled with the grandeur of the big band, will create an unforgettable night that honors the legacy of Tony Bennett in all its glory.<\/p>\n

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Michael Feinstein’s close friendship with Tony Bennett adds a profound layer to this tribute, as their camaraderie brings authenticity and depth to each note performed. Not only does Feinstein’s masterful interpretation of Bennett’s timeless repertoire pay homage to an era of classic songwriting, but it also preserves the rich cultural heritage that these songs represent.<\/p>\n

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Join us as Michael Feinstein pays a heartfelt, multimedia tribute to his friend and beloved entertainer Tony Bennett!<\/p>\n

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RENT In Concert |\u00a0<\/strong>March 15, 2025<\/p>\n

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Measure your life in love with the iconic music of\u00a0RENT<\/em>! Segerstrom Center is ecstatic to present this new staged, symphonic experience\u00a0of the Tony Award\u00ae\u2013winning Best Musical. Experience \u201cSeasons of Love,\u201d \u201cLight My Candle,\u201d \u201cLa Vie Boh\u00e8me,\u201d \u201cOut Tonight,\u201d \u201cTake Me or Leave Me,\u201d and all of your favorite moments accompanied by the soaring sounds of a live symphony and stellar cast.<\/p>\n

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Jonathan Larson\u2019s rock opera RENT is one of the most important musicals of this century, credited with introducing musical theater to a whole new audience and literally changing the face of casting on Broadway.\u00a0\u00a0 RENT enjoyed both enormous critical and commercial success \u2013 winning not only the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Musical, but also running for over 12 years, making it one of the longest-running shows in Broadway history.<\/p>\n

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Experience the iconic music of RENT like never before!<\/p>\n

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A Broadway 50th Anniversary!\u00a0<\/strong>|\u00a0<\/strong>April 18, 2025<\/p>\n

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In the summer of 1975 in New York City, two musicals opened on Broadway. Each would become American masterpieces and forever earn a place in popular culture:\u00a0\u00a0A Chorus Line<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0Chicago<\/em>.<\/p>\n

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With music by Marvin Hamlisch,\u00a0A Chorus Line<\/em>\u00a0became an unprecedented box office and critical hit!\u00a0 The musical won 9 Tony Awards and became the longest running production in Broadway history.<\/p>\n

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Just a few blocks away, featuring an opening night cast of Chita Rivera, Gwen Verdon, and Jerry Orbach,\u00a0Chicago<\/em>\u00a0debuted with music by Kander & Ebb.\u00a0 Initially,\u00a0Chicago<\/em>\u00a0lived in the shadow of\u00a0A Chorus Line<\/em>\u00a0and it wasn\u2019t until the 1996 revival that the musical truly took off.\u00a0 That revival won 6 Tony Awards and it continues to play to this day on Broadway, where it now owns the record for the longest running American musical in history.<\/p>\n

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These contributions alone would be enough to earn the songwriter\u2019s hallowed status, but thankfully these men gave us so much more!<\/p>\n

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Marvin Hamlisch is not only a member of the illustrious EGOT club (the winner of Emmy, GRAMMY, Oscar and Tony Awards), but he is in rare air as a Pulitzer Prize winner as well. Hamlisch started as a rehearsal pianist for Barbra Streisand, which led to a long history together, including their iconic song \u201cThe Way We Were.\u201d Other career highlights include the James Bond theme \u201cNobody Does it Better\u201d and theme song from\u00a0The Sting<\/em>, \u201cThe Entertainer.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb are Broadway legends, of course.\u00a0 They had already written\u00a0Cabaret<\/em>\u00a0before they struck gold again with\u00a0Chicago<\/em>!\u00a0 And the two continued to create hits throughout their storied career, including\u00a0Kiss of the Spider Woman<\/em>,\u00a0Steel Pier<\/em>,\u00a0the Scottsboro Boys<\/em>, and\u00a0The Visit<\/em>!\u00a0 As amazing as this resume is, their most famous song wasn\u2019t originally for the stage, but rather \u201cNew York, New York\u201d which became a signature song for Frank Sinatra, Liza Minelli, and more!<\/p>\n

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For the 50th\u00a0anniversary of these seminal musicals, we have gathered a cast of Broadway luminaries to celebrate and perform the wonderful music of Marvin Hamlisch and Kander & Ebb!<\/p>\n

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Jeremy Jordan |\u00a0<\/strong>June 28, 2025<\/p>\n

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We could not be more thrilled to welcome back Jeremy Jordan to Segerstrom Center for the Arts!<\/p>\n

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Last season, Jeremy made his Cabaret Series debut, performing to sell-out crowds, thrilling audiences with his incredible voice, dancing skills and larger-than-life charm.\u00a0 Now, after his starring role as Jay Gatsby in\u00a0the Great Gatsby<\/em>\u00a0on Broadway (for which he won the Favorite Leading Actor in a Musical at the Broadway.com Audience Choice Awards), we welcome him back again!<\/p>\n

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In his highly anticipated return, Jeremy will be performing in the acoustic splendor of the Ren\u00e9e and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall!\u00a0 Whether bringing down the house with songs from his own storied career on stage and screen (Newsies<\/em>,\u00a0SMASH<\/em>,\u00a0The Last Five Years<\/em>,\u00a0The Great<\/em>\u00a0Gatsby<\/em>) or putting his unique spin on the music of others – from both pop culture and the Great White Way; no one does it quite like Jeremy Jordan!<\/p>\n

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Seize the day and get your tickets for this sure-to-sell-out appearance by the one and only Jeremy Jordan!<\/p>\n

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Box Office<\/strong><\/u><\/p>\n

In person –<\/strong><\/p>\n

Box Office<\/p>\n

600 Town Center Drive<\/p>\n

Costa Mesa, CA 92626<\/p>\n

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Monday 10am to 2pm<\/p>\n

Tuesday through Friday 12pm to 5pm<\/p>\n

Saturday and Sunday: Closed<\/p>\n

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Phone –<\/strong>\u00a0Monday \u2013 Friday 10am to 5pm<\/p>\n

(714) 556-2787<\/p>\n

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Online –<\/strong>\u00a0SCFTA.org<\/u><\/a><\/p>\n

Group Sales –<\/strong>\u00a0(714) 755-0236<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

IN CONVERSATION SERIES LINEUP \u00a0Tony Kushner...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-65246","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-arts","category-ca-local"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65246","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=65246"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65246\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65247,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65246\/revisions\/65247"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=65246"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=65246"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=65246"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}