It Was a Grand Night at the Movies

Movie Mondays at Segerstrom Center

A cool grand turned out to give a warm welcome to the Center’s 2014 Movie Mondays and to cheer on Shirley Temple in her 1935 hit film The Little Colonel. The movie, in which Shirley appears in Technicolor for the very first time – only in the final scene – was a Movie Monday tribute to the beloved film star who passed away earlier this year. 

The Poormehr family: Seena, Nahid, Arian and Nadi from Irvine

The Center’s Jonathan Vietze is the Movie Mondays’ emcee, providing themed contests and fun prizes and giveaways prior to each screening. 

Happy Birthday, Paul Stutzke!

Macy’s sponsored the opening. In addition to its support of Movie Monday’s, Macy’s is an underwriter for the Center’s Arts and Business Leadership Awards Dinner, provides special in-store promotions for the Center and underwriting for this year’s OnStage at the Center performances of the Center’s holiday Broadway offering, Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! the Musical. Doug McKay, Macy’s District Grants Co-Chairman and a member of the Center’s Rising Leaders Council, was on hand to present a check for $25,000 to Center President Terrence W. Dwyer.

Macy's District Grants Co-Chariman Doug McKay presents
Center President Terry Dwyer with a check for $25,000

Kia, the official automobile of the Center, set up a special The Little Colonel tableau featuring their 2015 K900. They'll be back each week with a new themed display and car.

Display by Kia, the Official Automotive Partner of the Center

Also for the first time, food trucks offered delights and delicacies to satisfy those who might not have brought their own picnic dinners. New trucks and new selections will be on hand for the next four Mondays, when the movies will be Spice World – July 14, Gigi – July 21, Cabaret – July 28 and Sweet Charity – August 4.

Jiah Park, Roger Bell, Brandi Hawkes – with Charlie and Tess

All photos by Joesan Diche.

Box Office Hits and Tasty Eats on Wheels

Piaggio on Wheels food truck

Orange County foodies have reason to celebrate when they get together on the Arts Plaza for the annual free Movie Mondays. For the first time in Movie Mondays history, popular food trucks will sell gourmet snacks for fans to enjoy under the stars, while they watch films projected on the side of Segerstrom Hall. Guests may set up beach chairs and easily portable seats as early as 5:30 p.m., and trucks will begin selling food at 6 p.m. 

First up: The Little Colonel tonight, featuring the adorable little Shirley Temple and the iconic stair dancing scene with Bill “Bojangles” Robinson. May we suggest burgers, bite-size appetizers and root beer floats for this American classic? 

Drive Me Cookie food truck

The Little Colonel (July 7 at dusk) 
A Bite Truck 
Stuff N It Burgers 
We Heart Froyo 

Spice World (July 14 at dusk) 
Adobo Express 
Chunk-n-Chip 
The Burnt Truck 

Gigi (July 21 at dusk) 
Drive Me Cookie
Piaggio on Wheels 
Stuff N It Burgers 

Cabaret (July 28 at dusk) 
Bakery Truck 
Currywurst 
Piaggio on Wheels 

Sweet Charity (August 4 at dusk) 
Adobo Express 
Bakery Truck 
Dogzilla 

For more information about Movie Mondays and the Free for All series, please visit www.scfta.org/freeforall.

We Got Scooped! Ben & Jerry’s at the Center

Vermont-based ice cream maker Ben & Jerry’s made a quick stop at Segerstrom Center on Wednesday, June 25, to give away free scoops of their tasty new Salted Caramel ice cream (sweet cream ice cream with blonde brownies and a salted caramel swirl) and their classic Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough flavor. The Center was part of the final leg of Ben and Jerry’s month-long SoCal area tour. 

Center staff and fans eagerly gathered in the Arts Plaza for this sweet surprise and enjoyed their treats underneath the Fire Bird sculpture.  

The Ben & Jerry’s West Coast Core Tour began in San Diego mid-April and will soon roll up to Portland, Seattle and San Francisco for even more fans to enjoy. 

For more delicious snacks and culinary delights, be sure to stop by the outdoor Movie Mondays, starting with The Little Colonel featuring Shirley Temple on July 7. Gourmet food trucks will provide themed menu items for sale for all upcoming Movie Mondays showings. For additional information about Movie Mondays, please visit www.scfta.org/MovieMondays.

Bravos and Bows on a 'Grand' Scale

Plácido Domingo and Nino Machaidze

The Center presented LA Opera in a concert performance of Jules Massenet’s Thaïs on May 27. This is the third time the Center has brought the LA Opera cast, chorus and orchestra to the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall to perform one of the company’s works being presented in fully-staged productions at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. The cast starred the legendary Plácido Domingo as Athanaël and Nino Machaidze in the title role.

Final bows and standing ovation.

A number of Center guests applauded and welcomed the cast at a party held in the concert hall Donor Lounge.

Center Chairman Larry Higby and wife Dee 
with Plácido Domingo and his wife Marta.

LA Opera President Christopher Koelsch, performance 
underwriter Paul Musco and Center President Terry Dwyer.

All photos by Nick Koon.

Oh What a Prize – JERSEY BOYS Tickets!

Maria Fazelat with Macy's American Icons MC Mario Lopez.

Maria Fazelat won a pair of tickets to opening night of JERSEY BOYS on June 24 during a raffle at Macy’s American Icons event. Eleven other lucky people took home the coveted tickets as well. Host of the event was Extra’s Mario Lopez, who presented Maria with her winning tickets and an autographed photo. Shoppers received JERSEY BOYS totes, cast recordings and posters. The show will be at the Center June 24 – July 13 this summer. You can see the original Jersey Boy, Frankie Valli, on August 16, also in Segerstrom Hall.

Maria Fazelat with her tickets to opening night of JERSEY BOYS.

Always in good taste, the classic Jersey Boys tote.

All photos by Nick Koon.

LEGO Art Snaps Into Place at the Center

GUYS AND DOLLS LEGO display by Peter Aoun of Azusa

DIRTY DANCING LEGO display by James Banks of Long Beach

Patrons coming to Segerstrom Hall now through August 31 will be amazed by the exhibit of Broadway-inspired LEGO art created by some of the most talented members of LUGOLA (LEGO Users Group of Los Angeles). Each sculpture is themed to a Broadway show in the Center’s 2014-2015 Season: PIPPIN (November 11 – 23, 2014), DR. SEUSS’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS (December 10 – 14, 2014), KINKY BOOTS (December 30, 2014 – January 11, 2015), DIRTY DANCING (February 3 – 15, 2015), NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT (March 17 – 22, 2015), GUYS AND DOLLS (April 14 – 19, 2015), ANNIE THE MUSICAL (May 13 – 24, 2015), MOTOWN THE MUSICAL (June 16 – 28, 2015) and THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (August 5 – 16, 2015). The team of nine designers are led by Paul Lee. 

ANNIE LEGO display by Guy Himber of Sherman Oaks

PIPPIN LEGO display by Paul Lee of Placentia

It’s incredible and it’s cool – and for a close-up look the Center’s LEGO odes to Broadway, click here or view it here:

NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT LEGO display by Eric Tetangco of La Habra

DR. SEUSS' HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS 
LEGO display by John Cooper of San Diego

All photos by Joesan Diche.

Clothes Make the Man – and the JERSEY BOYS

JERSEY BOYS display at Macy's South Coast Plaza

To help celebrate the return of JERSEY BOYS to the Center June 24 – July 13, Macy’s South Coast Plaza is raffling 12 pairs of tickets to the June 24 opening night in Segerstrom Hall. It’s part of the American Icons event on Thursday, May 15 starting at 6:30 p.m. in the Macy’s Women’s Department. The event will be hosted by Extra and On with Mario star Mario Lopez and feature the USC Trojan Marching Band. The first 50 customers to make a purchase will receive a JERSEY BOYS tote, poster and cast CD.