Zippity Zumba

More than 20 people left sweaty and happy after In the Heights cast member Sandy Alvarez taught a Zumba-inspired dance class today at The Sports Club/LA in Irvine. During the hour, the class learned a variety of Latin dance rhythms like the salsa, samba, merenge along with hip-hop and other fun moves thrown in. Sandy gets a major workout every night performing in the touring production of In the Heights which won one of its four Grammy Awards for Best Choreography. Catch Sandy in the show while its here through August 15.

Photo above: Sandy with Mark and Angie Gaeta

Soaring to New "Heights"

The Center's Summer at the Center program for at-risk and underserved high school aged youth culminated with the students performing free Broadway revue-style shows in Samueli Theater last weekend. The public performances included the title song from the Tony® and Grammy® Award winning musical In the Heights, which is currently playing the Center through August 15. The students will return next week to see the show - for many it will be their first experience seeing a musical. Click on the video to watch the students' performance.

For two weeks, 38 Summer at the Center students were immersed in intensive music and theater workshops. The program utilizes the performing arts to engage the participants and empower them to overcome adversity in their lives, build self esteem, develop social skills and become peer role models. During the program's 19 years, it has continually been praised for helping to change and improve the lives of young people.

Way to go Summer at the Center 2010!

Be My Baby

Fifty lucky people (out of a crowd of 3,700) got the chance to play “Nobody Puts Baby in a Corner” shower contest last night before the Center’s showing of Dirty Dancing at free Movie Mondays. Contestants played traditional baby shower games such as pass the pacifier with a straw relay, draw a picture of baby on a paper plate placed on your head, drink juice the fastest from a baby bottle, blow up a balloon and stick it under your shirt the fastest and scoop up as many cotton balls into a bowl while blindfolded.

Winners of each game won prizes from Corner Bakery, the OC Fair and Gelson’s. The baby shower contest was based on the main character played by Jennifer Grey and a line said by leading man Patrick Swayze in the film. Guests also got a special treat before the screening – In the Heights cast member Rayanne Gonzales performed a number from the musical which opens tonight and runs through August 15. Click here to see the performance. And Banana Republic gave away a $500 gift certificate to celebrate the opening of the remodeled women’s store at South Coast Plaza. Thanks to the OC Fair and the retailers for providing all the great giveaways!

Free Movie Mondays concludes this summer with the showing of Mad Hot Ballroom on August 9.

KCRW's Matt Holzman Hearts Oliver

And so does Orange County judging from the crowd’s reaction to the Center’s free screening of Oliver! on Monday night. KCRW’s Matt Holzman (along with his sisters) was here for the third installment of this summer’s Movie Mondays. Matt, host of the radio station’s preview screening club, selected Oliver! for the popular movies series and was also on hand to get the evening going. Click on the video above to hear what Matt said when we caught up with him before the movie. The screening of Oliver! was presented in partnership with KCRW. A big thanks to KCRW and Matt!

Dirty Dancing will be next in the free Movie Mondays lineup on August 2. Be sure to come early to see a free performance by a cast member of In the Heights and a fun “No one keeps Baby in a corner” contest with tons of fun-filled prizes.

Century and Valley View High School Kids Take Broadway to the "Heights"

The Center has taken its ongoing partnership with the Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD) to a whole new height – In the Heights, that is. Students from Century High School and Valley View High School participated in a summer enrichment program organized by THINK Together for the SAUSD in collaboration with the Center and funded in part by the Broadway League. Seventy students worked with theater pros Ruben Garfias and Cynthia McGarity on vocal performance and interpretation using songs from Broadway’s Tony Award-winning show, In the Heights, which comes to the Center August 3 – 15.

The students will also attend the Thursday, August 12th performance of In the Heights at the Center and participate in a special post-performance Talk Back with artists from the show.

(Instructor discusses lines with Century High School students.)

(Century High School kids study their lines)

Things Heat Up at Movie Mondays

Do you know the answer to: what movie did Jack Lemmon and Kevin Bacon appear in together? If you guessed JFK you’d have won the Some Like it Hot trivia contest last night at the Center’s free Movie Mondays. Frank Wong of Huntington Beach gave the correct reply to the tie-breaking question and went home with free tickets to The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein which visits the Center September 12 – 25, a groovy glow ball and a Young Frankenstein DVD (pictured above). Other contestants won Young Frankenstein swag including medical bags, stethoscopes and DVDs. A big thanks to the Young Frankenstein touring production for providing the fun prizes.

Free Movie Mondays returns next week with Oliver! The movie is being presented in partnership with public radio station KCRW. Matt Holzman who hosts “Matt’s Movies” – KCRW’s preview screening club – will be at the Center to kick off the evening. Hope to see you Monday!

Photo above and below: For the the trivia contest, contestants were asked to hold up the photo of actor who they thought was the answer to the question.

From Dorothy to the Witches and Even Toto Too

A record-breaking 3,000 people followed the Yellow Brick Road to the Center last night for the screening of The Wizard of Oz which kicked off this summer's free Movie Mondays series on the community plaza. The evening started with a fun themed costume contest. Guests were invited to dress as their favorite character from the film for a chance to win prizes such as tickets to the Orange County Fair and goodies from Broadway shows scheduled to appear at the Center. Chosen by audience applause, the winner for best costume was Scarecrow Chase Castillo from Orange (pictured below with his sister Chanelle; pictured above: Kailyn, Olivia and Jackie Cortez from Placentia). Movie Mondays continues next week with Some Like it Hot on July 19 with a movie trivia contest.

(Above: Brenna and Bronwyn Tosh from Newport Beach)

(Above: Grace Messerschmidt with Merielle Billyou Palmer)