The Center in Anne Rice's latest novel

It seems acclaimed best-seller Anne Rice, author of Interview with the Vampire and The Life of Christ series, is a fan of the Center. In her most recent release, Angel Time, Rice included mention of the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, as well as the Pacific Symphony and Leatherby’s Café Rouge. The book’s central character, assassin Toby O’Dare, muses in this excerpt:

Often, undisguised, I drove over to nearby Costa Mesa to hear the Pacific Symphony. I liked it, the contrast, moving from the stucco arches and rusted bells of the Inn to the immense Plexiglas miracle of the Segerstrom Concert Hall, with the pretty Cafe Rouge on the first floor.

In a personal email to the Center, Rice called the Concert Hall “gorgeous ... a beautiful and special place,” adding that she often incorporates personal experiences into her novels. Said Rice:

It was natural for me to have my hero in this new novel visit the hall. I was so taken with the performance of [the Pacific Symphony’s] The Rite of Spring that I wrote it into the book, and expanded on it fictionally, having the hero hear the composition early in his life, and then again at the Hall.

Thank you for your praise, Ms. Rice. We look forward to the next book.

Broadway Fans Enjoyed “Trying Before Buying” at the Center's Annual Seat Sale

The Center held its annual Broadway Seat Sale on Saturday, August 8, and many people took advantage of the opportunity to hand-select their 2009-10 Broadway Series season tickets. The seat sale allows fans to review the available seats, tour Segerstrom Hall and check the views and sightlines before they purchase their tickets. For current subscribers, it was the chance to improve their seating location. In addition, ticket buyers were offered the chance to take backstage tours and stand front and center on the 8,500-square-foot stage where Spamalot, Rent, Spring Awakening, Xanadu , Annie, The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles, Hairspray, Dreamgirls, Disney’s The Lion King, In the Heights and Young Frankenstein will play this season.

Domenic and Ellen Santucci

Karen Babel, Olivia Espinoza and docent Sue Fractman

(L) Ken Davis and Ran Michels (R) Joan and Bill Worrell

(L) Shaunna and Kate DeHart (R) Linda Rivera

(R) Diane and Fred Gross

NY Loves Esperanza Spalding

Esperanza Spalding - who will perform in the Center's Jazz Series Nov. 6 and 7 - made quite a splash at New York's Central Park SummerStage festival this weekend. The New York Times raved about the up-and-coming musician's "ebullient singing and her agile bass playing," deeming her a charismatic and talented artist, bandleader and vocalist.

Hailing from Portland, Oregon, 24-year-old Spalding has also caught the eyes of President Obama and has twice performed in the White House. She is also a member of the faculty at Boston's prestigious Berkelee School of Music, her alma mater. Spalding's latest album, Esperanza, has been hailed by critics for its successful blending of Cuban and Brazilian influences with classic soul and contemporary pop - an irresistible fusion she is sure to exhibit during her visit to the Center this fall.

Read the full NY Times review of her latest performance here.

Author Who Inspired 'Fiddler on the Roof' Featured on NPR

"Life is a dream for the wise, a game for the fool, a comedy for the rich, a tragedy for the poor. "
- Sholem Aleichem

Everyone knows Tevye, the iconic dairyman and father of five daughters, at the center of the much-loved 1964 Broadway classic Fiddler on the Roof. But you may not know Sholem Rabinovich - known by his pen name Sholem Aleichem ("peace be with you") - the author and humorist who's many works inspired the musical.

Rabinovich spent the latter half of the 19th century promoting Yiddish writers and was the first author to write children's books in Yiddish. Yesterday marked the 150th anniversary of his birth, and NPR commemorated Rabinovich - dubbed the Jewish Mark Twain - with a segment on "All Things Considered."

Check it out here.

That's Chaim Topol (above), who played the original Tevye on Broadway and also starred in the 1971 film. Topol returns to the Center to reprise the role in Fiddler on the Roof, running August 11 - 23.