Center Honors Philanthropists

Larry Higby and Zee Allred

Each year, Segerstrom Center for the Arts honors donors of $25,000 or more as well as Candlelight Concert sponsors and underwriters at the Fire Bird Dinner. This year it was held on the Tier I lobby of Segerstrom Hall beneath Richard Lippold’s sculpture, Fire Bird, which has become a local landmark and signature of the Center. 

Larry Higby and Eileen Cirillo

At the conclusion of the evening, Center Chairman Larry Higby presented the annual Chairman’s Cup award to board member and donor Zee Allred and volunteer extraordinaire and donor Eileen Cirillo. The Chairman’s Cup is given in recognition for extraordinary volunteer service and generosity to the Center.

Photos by Xuong Do

Christmas in July

Cindy Ramirez, Paul Fulmer & Amy Ramirez of Costa Mesa

Everyone got into the holiday spirit during last night’s free Movie Mondays showing of The Nightmare Before Christmas. Before the main event, Center artist and puppeteer extraordinaire, Ellen Schulze, was on hand helping people to make their own Nightmare-inspired puppets. Ellen works on behalf of Segerstrom Center to share the art of creating puppets with many organizations, such as Children’s Hospital of Orange County and AIDS Services Foundation.

Stella & Gabi from Orange w/ their puppets

And the ever popular movie-themed contests had children and adults playing holiday-themed games with candy canes and chocolate. They were vying for prizes such as tickets to see Broadway shows La Cage aux Folles and The Addams Family, goodies from Corner Bakery and passes to the OC Fair. Throughout the evening the Center held a toy drive and many generous guests brought items to be donated to charity. Thanks to those who donated toys!

Angel & Ben from Huntington Beach w/ their creation

The Nightmare Before Christmas was screened in partnership with public radio station KCRW and Matt Holzman, host of Matt’s Movies, stopped in to say hello and get the night off to a fun start. Our friends at Newport Beach Film Festival are providing the animated shorts seen before each feature film. Movie Mondays continues next week with Yentl starring Barbra Streisand.

Alexa & Benny from Santa Ana

Center "King" Joins Mikhailovsky Ballet

Marcelo Gomes, a Principal Dancer with American Ballet Theatre, has thrilled Center audiences many times. He has added a new title, Guest Principal Dancer of the Mikhailovsky Ballet for its 2012-13 Season. In recent seasons at Segerstrom Center, Gomes was seen as the Rogue in the West Coast premiere of Twyla Tharp’s Rabbit and Rogue (August 2008), which was a co-commission of the Center with ABT, Tour de Force II (April 2011); Kings of the Dance (October 2011) and as Prince Ivan in ABT’s new Firebird, which had its world premiere here in March, 2012.  

Photos:

Top: Marcelo Gomes in King of the Dance 2011; photo by Doug Gifford

Bottom: Marcelo Gomes and Natalia Osipova, from Lady of the Camelias; photo by Gene Schiavone

S'Wonderful at Segerstrom Center

Macy Uhoman of Laguna Hills, Mary Dumivin of Lake Forest with their Eiffel Tower cake

To honor Bastille Day, the Center screened An American in Paris for its July 16 free Movie Monday. More than 2,500 people – parents, kids, families, Center fans – gathered to hear George Gershwin’s award-winning score and watch Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron meet and fall in love in the City of Lights. The evening began with a special French inspired quiz conducted by the Center’s Jonathan Vietze. Contestants left with prizes from Quattro Caffé in South Coast Plaza, the Orange County Fair and Corner Bakery. It was all tres bien! Up Monday – Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas.

Jenni Stenson, Kevin Grant, Dorothy McClelland, Kelly Bishop, Brian Eastman in their French stripes

Jessica and Brett Kelly with Nicole and Ashley of Laguna Beach

Music to the Ears

Stephen Sondheim and Michael Kerker

Music legend Stephen Sondheim appeared at the Center on Friday, July 13 to discuss his life, his works and his thoughts on creating great musical theater with ASCAP Vice President Michael Kerker. Performing a number of his songs were Tony Award®-winners Christine Ebersole and Brian Stokes Mitchell. Sondheim is the eight time Tony Award-winning composer for shows such as Follies, A Little Night Music, Sweeney Todd, Company, Sunday in the Park with George, Merrily We Roll Along, Into the Woods and the lyrics for Gypsy and West Side Story.

Christine Ebersole and Brian Stokes Mitchell

Photos by Doug Gifford

Center Helps Make Music in the Park

For an educational overture to the free July 10 “Concert in the Park” sponsored by the City of Costa Mesa, Center Arts Teach artist Dr. Craig Woodson taught families how to make a “drumpet” - a drum/ trumpet/ guitar - using everyday materials.  More than 400 people attending the concert in Fairview Park made instruments and learned more about the Center from members of our Education Department. 

On Tuesday, July 31, Center artist and puppeteer extraordinaire Ellen Shulze will guide them in making their own hand-made, hand-held characters that they can use to sing along with the concert.

Six Days of Broadway – Summer of 2012

Tony Award®-winner Susan Egan was a special guest instructor for the junior high school level students. The entire class above with Susan in the middle, rear with bangs and Erin Dilly far right

The Center held its annual Six Days of Broadway Summer Musical Theater Camp in June and July. This year’s program offered two sessions, during which participants, ages 11 – 24, develop and hone their craft in such areas as musical performance, scene work, audition technique, dance and monologue interpretation.

Six Days of Broadway was led by Tony Award nominee and Broadway/film star Erin Dilly, along with Broadway veterans Stephan Buntrock, Danny Gurwin, Hank Stratton, Chryssie Whitehead and such noted guest instructors as Tony Award-winner Susan Egan.

Chryssie Whitehead with high school students