Arts & Culture

The Orange County Performing Arts Center Prepares to Entertain with their 2007-2008 Series

Cash for your car

Dance, Cabaret, Jazz or Broadway, whatever your preference, the Orange County Performing Arts Center has it all. Unveiling their 2007-2008 season lineup, The Center offers a diverse series that utilizes the Center in Segerstrom Hall, the new Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall and the Samueli Theatre. With such eclectic and entertaining performances this is a great time to experience The Center’s biggest season yet.

Blast! 

Combining grace, beauty and strength with emotion and passion, The International Dance Series has several performances on tap. The Center’s debut of the Tango Buenos Aires runs from November 8-11, 2007; the world premiere of Diana Vishneva: Beauty in Motion runs February 12-13 & 15-17, 2008; Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre will showcase March 11-16, 2008; Teatro Alla Scala Ballet runs June 17-22, 2008; and the American Ballet Theatre can be seen July 29-August 3, 2008.

Season tickets for the Dance Series range from $60-$299.

Offering up and coming talents, as well as established stars, the Jazz Club Series will provide audiences with spectacularly energetic concerts. Renaud Garcia-Fons can be seen October 5-6, 2207; Tierney Sutton plays October 26-27, 2007; Rachael Price makes her Center Debut November 16-17, 2007; the Clayon Hamilton Jazz Orchestra: Celebrating Benny Carter’s 100th Birthday can be experienced on November 24, 2007; Joey DeFrancesco and Bobby Hutcherson can be seen December 21-22, 2007; The Crusaders play January 19, 2008; Grammy Award-winning trumpeter Wynton Marsalis will be on hand January 31, 2008; Taylor Eigsti plays February 8-9, 2008; and Phil Woods makes his Center debut April 25-26, 2008.

My Fair Lady 

The Jazz Club Series tickets are $400 or $380. Samueli Theater performances are Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 pm & 9:30 pm. Performances in the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall start at 8:00pm.

The Cabaret Series presents audiences with an intimate club style musical theatre setting in the Samueli Theatre. Catch Victoria Clark October 11-14, 2007; Stefanie Powers November 8-11, 2007; Lorenzo Lamas January 17-20, 2008; Sutton Foster February 14-17, 2008; Brian Stokes Mitchell March 6-9, 2008; James Naughton April 10-13, 2008; and John Schneider and Tom Wopat May 10, 2008.

Tickets for a seven show season ticket package are $381. Samueli Theatre performances are Thursday-Saturday at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 7pm.

Radio City Rockettes 

Music lovers can enjoy the most respected chamber orchestras and ensembles spanning a variety of musical styles and periods. The Emerson String Quartet will play October 25, 2007; the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center makes it’s Center Debut on November 13, 2007; the Belcea Quartet plays January 26, 2008; Joshua Bell can be seen February 23, 2008; Andrew Manze and the Helsingborg Symphony: The Eroica Effect will play April 2, 2008; and the eighth blackbird makes their world premiere April 15, 2008.

Season tickets for the Center’s Concert Series are $297 for the complete series.

The Family Series combines music, dance and theatre to entertain audiences of all ages. Trout Fishing in America can be seen October 19-21, 2007; Tales & Scales: Pied Piper runs November 30-December 2, 2007; ¡Sofrito! Runs February 1-2, 2008; the Big Wooden Horse Theatre Company’s Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! showcases April 4-6, 2008; and Matthias Kuchta:Snow White runs May 2-4, 2008.

Season tickets to the Center’s Family Series are $55-$80. Performances on Friday evenings are at 7 pm, Saturdays are at 11 am and 1 pm and Sunday afternoons at 2 pm.

The Broadway Series offers a variety of classic shows. Jersey Boys runs November 13-December 1, 2007; Radio City Christmas Spectacular can be seen December 13-30, 2007; Twelve Angry Men rushes to judgment February 26-March 9, 2008; My Fair Lady bows June 4-5, 2008; and A Chorus Line high kicks it’s way to Orange County August 26-September 7, 2008.

All Shook Up 

The Curtain Call Series offers Blast! February 5-10, 2008 and The Phantom of the Opera March 26-April 19, 2008.

Additional shows include, The Center’s West Coast Premiere of American Ballet Theatre’s The Sleeping Beauty debuting July 17-22, 2007 with tickets ranging from $25-95; the Elvis Presley-inspired All Shook Up! which can be seen May 29-June 10 with tickets ranging from $20-$70; the national tour of Broadway’s Chicago running June 26-July 1, 2007 with tickets costing $20-$70; and bringing African culture to SoCal is BoxTales Theatre Company which can be experienced June 1-3, 2007 with tickets ranging from $14-$19.

Tickets can be purchased at The Center’s Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa, by calling    (714) 556-2787  or going online at www.ocpac.org. For inquiries about group ticket discounts, call The Center’s Group Sales office at    (714) 755-0236. The Center’s TTY number is  (714) 556-2746  .

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