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By Norm Bour & Christopher Trela | NB Indy  Can you duplicate the Mona Lisa? Can anyone beside Michelangelo create another “David” sculpture? That was our fear when we attended a screening of the new “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” at The Port Theater in Corona del Mar. Just...

The holidays are a time for tradition, which means it’s time for a traditional holiday show. This year, holiday offerings range from SCR’s annual production of “A Christmas Carol” to ABT’s “The Nutcracker” at Segerstrom Center to a new holiday-themed show...

Christmas is considered a family affair; so too is South Coast Repertory’s annual production of “A Christmas Carol” that starts previews this weekend. Hal Landon Jr. returns to play Scrooge for the 36th year, and a handful of other longtime SCR favorites are back in pivotal...

Asked what was the seminal impulse behind her play “Abundance,” currently on stage at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, playwright Beth Henley said “I’ve always been interested in what happens with people’s dreams.” What happens? Life happens. And to dramatize that point,...

Labor Day weekend signifies the end of summer, and follows certain tried and true traditions. One tradition that has been ongoing for many years is the Tchaikovsky Spectacular, which traditionally closes the Pacific Symphony’s Summer Pops series at Irvine Meadows (formerly...

“Say eight!” “Caution, show horses.” “Break down right here.” “Take luck.” Fans of comedian Brian Regan will smile in recognition of those signature stand-up routines, but those unfamiliar with the comic mastermind who can turn the mundane into laugh-inducing moments can learn...

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “The Phantom of the Opera” remains one of the greatest musical theater pieces ever conceived (it’s the longest-running show in Broadway history, and is still running). The story is a classic, the music inspiring, and the staging offers “Wow!” factors at...

By Elizabeth Greenberg | NB Indy Rediscover your childhood (and your favorite nanny) at the South Coast Repertory Summer Players’ rendition of the musical “Mary Poppins.” Based on the classic Disney movie and P. L. Travers’ original stories, audiences can rejoin Jane and Michael...

Having seen the musical “The Phantom of the Opera” more than 10 times, I suppose I qualify as a Phantom fan, although there are those Phantom aficionados who have seen the show far more than that. The last time I saw “Phantom” was at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood on Halloween...

By Madison Desler | NB Indy Last Saturday (no it wasn’t ‘in the park’ as the Chicago hit would insist), Kenny Cetera’s Chicago Experience hit the Lido Live stage at 9 p.m. with an evening of music by the ever-popular band Chicago. Kenny Cetera, younger brother of Peter Cetera...

By Christopher Trela and Shelly Zavala | NB Indy The Hyatt Regency Newport Beach Summer Concert Series started last Friday and runs through October 9 in the Hyatt’s intimate amphitheater. Singer-composer Bobby Caldwell (“What You Won’t Do For Love”) launched the series, with...

Summer’s almost here, which means it’s time for al fresco concerts courtesy of the annual Hyatt Regency Newport Beach Summer Concert Series which starts June 19 and runs every Friday night through October 9. The concerts run the gamut from straight ahead jazz and smooth jazz to...

Twenty-five years ago the Oldsmobile division of General Motors launched a new advertising campaign for the brand that promised, “This is not your Father’s Oldsmobile.” The same could be said for Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Years ago Aaron Egigian, the Center’s Senior...

It may not quite be summer (summer officially arrives June 21) but summer starts early in Newport Beach thanks to the Concerts on the Green music series, presented by the Newport Beach City Arts Commission. The first of four concerts in the annual summer series will be held June...

Twelve actors in contemporary street clothes wander onto the stage as though arriving at rehearsal and seeing this space for the first time. All that is there are a couple of scaffold-like platforms and a smattering of random set pieces. Way upstage is the exposed back wall of...

“The sun’ll come out tomorrow,” sings the title character in the musical “Annie,” but it’s come out today for actor Garrett Deagon, who plays the villainous Rooster Hannigan in the Broadway touring production of “Annie” that comes to Segerstrom Center May 13 – 24. Deagon...

“May you all live to be 100 years old and may the last voice you hear be mine!” That famous quote from Frank Sinatra is apropos this year, because 2015 marks the late entertainer’s 100th birthday and his voice lives on thanks to numerous recordings and films. Sinatra also lives...

Newport Beach Film Festival’s theme this year is “Know New Art.” As one of the many volunteers who reviewed and rated festival submissions, I watched a lot of new art (about 50 shorts and documentary films). Some of it was good, some not so much. Occasionally a film stood out as...

Gamblers, gangsters and dolls are coming to Segerstrom Center for the Arts next week thanks to the Broadway touring production of the legendary musical “Guys and Dolls,” running April 14 – 19. Based on characters created by Damon Runyon, “Guys and Dolls” is the musical tale of...

By Madison Desler | NB Indy The Lido Live Theater, built in 1938, has all the adornments of a jazz-age venue: a stunning marquee, old-timey popcorn maker, art deco light fixtures, and cushy theater seats. However, a newly installed stage riser, heavy duty light rigging, and a...