Center Helps Make Beautiful Music at Fairview Park

Ellen Schulze teaches a young musician the fun of harmonica improvisation.

Segerstrom Center staff members were out in force in Fairview Park to help make Costa Mesa’s final Concert in the Park for 2013 a special celebration in honor of the city's 60th anniversary. Center teaching artist Ellen Schulze, known as “the Puppet Lady,” was there to welcome youngsters and help them make their own harmonicas out of items easily found around the house. Schulze is most often seen at local schools and community events showing children how to explore the world and history through the magic of puppet crafts. 

For more information about the Center’s education programs and teaching artists, visit www.scfta.org/artsteach.

Say "Hallelujah" to the SISTER ACT Menu!

Photo by Joan Marcus

It’s a match made in heaven: a delightful, pre-show menu at Leatherby's Cafe Rouge to complement SISTER ACT. From beef tenderloin carpaccio (“Take Me to Heaven”) to a choice of crusted Lake Superior white fish (“Mother Superior”) or roasted organic chicken with white bean purée (“Sister Act”), these entrees are sure to make you say “Hallelujah!” Complete your meal with a tribute to Whoopi Goldberg – red velvet whoopie pie. Some would say it’s nearly a religious experience! 

Chef Ross Pangilinan’s creations will be available from August 6 to 18. To view the full SISTER ACT menu, please click here. 

Tag us with #SisterActOC to join us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram! 

This Friday on the Arts Plaza: Pacific Symphony’s “Target Symphony in the Cities”

Music Director Carl St.Clair conducting.

Pacific Symphony’s annual free summer evenings of outdoor music and entertainment come to Segerstrom Center’s Arts Plaza for the first time this Friday, July 26 beginning at 5:30 p.m. The 2013 Target Symphony in the Cities concert series on the Center’s Arts Plaza will also help to celebrate Costa Mesa’s 60th Anniversary. PSO Music Director Carl St.Clair will conduct well-loved tunes by Shostakovich, Massenet, Strauss (Jr. and Sr.!) and American legends John Williams, Leonard Bernstein and John Philip Sousa. Special guest performers are the doo-wop group The Alley Cats and violinist Kotaro Tsutsumi. 

Don’t miss the pre-concert events at the Symphony’s Musical Playground and lots of interactive and hands-on activities for kids and families: make an instrument, play in a drum circle, visit the instrument petting zoo and meet real live Symphony musicians. Maestro St.Clair will offer his conducting workshop, starting at 6:45 p.m. in preparation to assist him in leading Sousa’s “Hands Across the Sea” during the concert. 

Guests are encouraged to bring beach chairs or other easily portable seating items, as well as snacks and picnic suppers. Barbecues and similar food preparation are not permitted.  

Center Campus. Photo by Chris Costea

Thousands Moved by Movie Mulan

Disney's Mulan drew a crowd of 4,000!

Number three in this summer’s Movie Mondays – Disney’s animated Mulan - drew a crowd of 4,000, the largest audience ever. Early arrivals enjoyed face painting and chalk drawing on the Arts Plaza. Patina offered Asian cuisine-themed dinners. 

No Movie Monday is complete without a pre-show warm-up contest. “Confucius or Confused” had people trying to decide if sayings were those of the great Chinese philosopher or other well known pundits – ladies, in honor of Mulan – including Eleanor Roosevelt, Helen Keller, Dolly Parton, Margaret Thatcher, Mother Teresa and Coco Chanel. Participants received SISTER ACT fans (coming to the Center August 6 – 18) and Corner Bakery Cafe edamame salads; winners received Macy’s $15 gift cards. 

Next week will be the Audience Fan Favorite winner – (Phantom organ riff, please!) – Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera! Francophiles, plan to sample Patina’s croque monsieur (grilled ham and cheese sandwich), charcuterie and cheese plates and crepe station.

To view more photos from Movie Mondays, please visit http://flic.kr/s/aHsjH3xo4J

Movies to Watch Music By...

Contest winner Mary Ann Archbold, Aileen Feuerberg, Linda Daley and Carol Abair.

Denise Shue and Dino, Bill McKee and Astro.

Buena Vista Social Club, the Center’s second film in the 2012 - 2013 free Movie Mondays series, attracted nearly 2,000 people. KCRW was the evening’s co-sponsor along with the Newport Beach Film Festival. The Festival provides film shorts before each Movie Mondays feature. Pre-screening music had people dancing on the Arts Plaza. The Center’s master of ceremonies, Jonathan Vietze, called Loteria games and sent many fans home with Buena Vista Social Club DVDs and Loteria-inspired t-shirts with the design symbols on them. The Guitar Center had its own booth to carry the evening’s musical theme forward. Next Monday, July 22 – Disney’s Mulan.

KCRW and the Newport Beach Film Festival were the evening's co-sponsors.

Brianna and Carolye Roth from Indiana, Khanh Nguyen and Lisa Schultz from Costa Mesa.

Michael Dilsisian, Mike Lingle, Lynn Smith and Janet Loveridge.

The Center Cheers OCSA’s Broadway-Bound Students

From left to right, Madison Mitchell, Chesney Thompson, Sarah Edmunds 
and Rebecca Murillo

Chesney Thompson, Rebecca Murillo and Sarah Edmunds, who participated in the smash hit flash mob for the opening night of MEMPHIS last season are performing in Orange County School of the Arts’ Bridge 2 Broadway program. Also in the program are Griffin Runnels, who participated in the MEMPHIS talk back and Madison Mitchell from the cast of CATS. Aspiring student actors and theater technicians study with Broadway professionals, including Tony Award-winning Broadway producers (MEMPHIS, Hair) Tim and Pamela Kashani of Apples and Oranges Studios. Bridget 2 Broadway creates is a distinctive program that helps to develop a new generation of working theater professionals, empowers working actors and provides aspiring artists with the resources to grow and refine their works. Performances to showcase the students are July 12 – 14 and 17-21 at the Orange County School of the Arts in Santa Ana.

From left to right, Madison Mitchell, Chesney Thompson, Sarah Edmunds
and Rebecca Murillo

It’s Drew, It’s Drew! Movie Mondays 2013 Is Finally Here!

Mark Phillips, Jake Eyerman, Alan Sullivan, Ed Eyerman
and Tim Woods at Movie Mondays

The summer season’s beloved Movie Mondays opened last night with a great turnout of nearly 2,500 fans who came to enjoy the ‘80s-inspired romantic comedy The Wedding Singer. The Arts Plaza was filled with totally awesome ‘80s music as guests were enjoying their picnic dinners. New this year, Patina Catering is providing themed-menu dinners, and last night’s included rockin’ sliders, grilled cheese sandwiches and, of course, wedding cake for dessert! Also, the fabulous new Segerstrom Center t-shirts made their debut last night and will be available every Monday for $18 each.

Wedding cake from Patina Restaurant Group catering

Segerstrom Center for the Arts t-shirts

Acura, the Official Automotive Sponsor of the Center, parked in Arts Plaza

The popular pre-film contests paid homage to the film’s stars: Drew Barrymore and Adam Sandler and included a rousing game of “Drew or False” along with “Tongue Twisters.” Grand Prize winners received either passes to visit the beautiful and historic Mission San Juan Capistrano or tickets to attend the Center’s next divine Broadway musical, SISTER ACT arriving August 6. All participants received blueberry pies (something borrowed, something blue) courtesy of Corner Bakery Cafe.

Gary and Sue Mammen at Movie Mondays

Movie Mondays continues on July 15 with the acclaimed music documentary Buena Vista Social Club in anticipation of the September 17 opening of the Center’s 2013 – 2014 Season with Orquestra Buena Vista Social Club in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall.