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Calling Aubree Sweeney an RV comedienne might be confusing, but then again Sweeney does tour in her own RV, and she’s staying at the Newport Dunes RV park while she’s in town to headline a comedy night Oct. 18 at the Back Bay Bistro. Sweeney was born in Nebraska, studied creative...

Nathan Andrew Riley remembers being a wide-eyed 12-year-old boy sitting in the last row of the balcony of the Pantages Theater in Hollywood watching a production of “The Lion King” and thinking he wanted to be on stage in a show. Now, Riley is fulfilling that dream as the Orange...

In 1964, Orange County’s population was about to hit one million, Irvine was still a dream waiting to be built, and John Wayne had settled on Newport Beach as his new home. Newport Beach is also where college pals Martin Benson and David Emmes (who attended Newport Harbor High...

You may recall the 2003 movie version of “School of Rock,” starring Jack Black. In the movie Black plays struggling rock guitarist Dewey Finn, who is kicked out of his band and subsequently masquerades as a substitute music teacher at a prestigious prep school. Now you can...

The first North American Tour of the Tony Award-winning Broadway Revival of “The Color Purple,” which the New York Times called “a glory to behold,” comes to Segerstrom Center for the Arts June 19-24. The cast is led by members from the 2016 Broadway revival, including Adrianna...

I’ve seen Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Phantom of the Opera” musical more times than I should admit (about a dozen), starting with the L.A. production in 1990 and continuing through the latest touring incarnation that came to Segerstrom Center a couple of years ago (boasting new sets...

To say the latest Cirque du Soleil is unique is a given; they are all different. After 38 shows over 34 years it may be hard to come up with something new, yet the latest Cirque du Soleil iteration, “Luzia,” does just that. “Luzia” is a Mexican fiesta; a party, which includes...

Nancy Sinatra had a hit with the song “These Boots are Made for Walking,” but she probably did not take into account the stiletto footwear worn by the cast of the Broadway musical “Kinky Boots” that returns to Segerstrom Center Feb. 6-11. “I spend about 85 percent of the show in...

It’s 1934 in Providence, Rhode Island. Eight sisters of Irish descent meet on alternate Friday evenings to play bridge and gossip. Hardly seems a likely scenario for a play, but “The Octette Bridge Club” by P.J. Barry has become a popular community theater production since it...

  The movie “Shakespeare in Love” nabbed seven Academy Awards in 1998, including Best Picture and Best Screenplay. The romantic comedy is in essence an ode to The Bard and cleverly tells the story of how Romeo and Juliet was created. It’s filled with quotes and characters...

By Heather Manning | Special to the NB Indy  When you hear the name Jane Lynch, you may think of the vibrant host of the primetime game show “Hollywood Game Night” or the acerbic Sue Sylvester from the hit TV show “Glee.” You may conjure up one of her characters from a...

What’s it like playing a pop music icon in a Broadway musical? Jonny Wexler, who portrays Frankie Valli in the touring production of “Jersey Boys” that comes to Segerstrom Center for the Arts Jan. 19-21, seems to take it in stride. Of course, Wexler spent three years playing Joe...

  “Was ever a scarf so red?” Yes, “A Christmas Carol” has returned for its 38th year at South Coast Repertory, and with it Hal Landon Jr. as Ebenezer Scrooge, and his iconic red scarf. In fact, several other SCR founding artists, including Richard Doyle and Art Koustik, are...

“Listen to them. Children of the night. What music they make!” That infamous line was uttered by Bela Lugosi in the classic 1931 film “Dracula,” directed by Tod Browning. “Dracula” had little music to accompany its ghoulish dialogue, but that changed nearly 20 years ago when...

Attending a play or concert with a friend is always fun, but what happens when you get nine neighbors together and make a group trip to Laguna Playhouse to watch a weekend matinee performance of “Twelve Angry Men?” Last Saturday, nine neighbors (including me) who frequently meet...

The Broadway musical “Finding Neverland” at Segertstrom Center for the Arts through April 2 is the mostly true story of how J.M. Barrie created his classic fable “Peter Pan,” and it’s the opportunity to bring along someone who will be absolutely delighted with the show: your...

Pianist and actor Hershey Felder has been keeping busy—very busy. He’s played over 4,500 performances of his self-created solo productions around the world, breaking box office records and drawing critical acclaim for his one-man shows that revolve around noted composers. Up to...

The last time I saw Ron Raines, we were having lunch with fellow opera singer Roberta Peters at Amici Restaurant prior to a rehearsal of the Opera Pacific production of “The Merry Widow.” That was in 1994. Since then, Amici and Opera Pacific have closed their doors, but Raines is...

Is it a children’s musical for grownups, or a grownup musical for children? Whatever the case, it’s clear that “Matilda” is popular with audiences of all ages. The show received its West End premiere in November of 2011 and was immediately acclaimed by British critics and...

Think your schedule is busy this month? Check out the myriad holiday-themed concerts and shows on stage at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in December. Dec. 9-18: Segerstrom Center for the Arts presents “The Nutcracker” by American Ballet Theatre.  Dec. 10: Philharmonic Society of...