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Stepping Out

‘MJ the Musical’ at Segerstrom Center is a Dazzling Song-Packed Portrait of Michael Jackson

By Eric Marchese | Special to the NB Indy Would anyone want to trade places with Michael Jackson? The pop singer’s talent and brilliance brought him fame and wealth beyond compare, but at a price. Despite whatever success and acclaim, his perfectionism drove him to push himself to his physical...

Laguna Playhouse’s Sterling Production of ‘A Shayna Maidel’ is Somber yet Life-Affirming

By Eric Marchese | Special to the NB Indy It might be difficult to envision a play that’s grim yet also life-affirming, but “A Shayna Maidel” can honestly said to be both. A somber tone is no surprise, as the 1987 play deals with the aftermath of one of the darkest...

Newport Theatre Arts Center’s Production of ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’ is a Compact Comedic Salute to Classic Musical Theater

By Eric Marchese | Special to the NB Indy Billed as “a musical within a comedy,” “The Drowsy Chaperone” has been around long enough to have developed something of a cult following. Its reputation is well deserved as a compact, comedic show that both parodies and salutes the musical theater...

Michael Jacckson Musical Moonwalks to Segerstrom Center March 19-31

In June 1992, Michael Jackson (the “King of Pop”) embarked on his Dangerous World Tour that ran through November 1993. Jackson performed for more than three million people and reportedly grossed $100 million. Imagine being a fly on the wall watching Jackson prepare for the tour. Two-time Pulitzer Prize winning playwright...

Segerstrom Center Hosts “A Broadway Birthday: Sondheim, Lloyd Webber, and Friends” on March 28

March 22 is a special day in theatrical history—it’s the birthday of two of Broadway’s legendary composers, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Stephen Sondheim. Sondheim was born in New York in 1930. Over his 70-year career he penned lyrics (and often the music) for such noted classics as “West Side Story,”...

Pacific Symphony’s 2024-25 Classical Series Honors Music Director Carl St.Clair’s 35 Years of Leadership

Pacific Symphony Music Director Carl St.Clair arrived in Orange County in 1990 to take over the artistic leadership of the Pacific Symphony, which had been formed in 1978. The Symphony had gone from performing in a high school gymnasium to becoming the resident orchestra at the new Orange County Performing...

Disney’s “The Lion King” Broadway Musical Roars into Segerstrom Center Through February 25

Can you feel the love this month at Segerstrom Center for the Arts? Disney’s “The Lion King” musical that is playing through February 25 at Segerstrom Center has had an extraordinary life on Broadway and around the world. Since the show premiered in 1997, there have been 28 global productions that...

Meet New Pacific Symphony Pops Conductor Enrico Lopez-Yañez

Longtime attendees of Pacific Symphony Pops concerts know the familiar face and insightful commentary of Pops conductor Richard Kaufman, who guided audiences through more than 30 symphonic pops seasons featuring a dazzling array of musical guests, including Olivia Newton John, Frankie Valli and The Righteous Brothers. This season, Kaufman has...

Laguna Playhouse’s Production of ‘Ain’t Misbehavin’’ is a Joyous Crowd-Pleaser

By Eric Marchese | Special to the NB Indy When it comes to larger-than-life show-biz greats, few can match the storied life and career of Thomas Waller, the pianist, composer and performer lovingly known as “Fats.” Waller reveled in life, and his appetites for food and drink were part of his...

Newport Theatre Arts Center Stages Stellar Production of ‘Other Desert Cities’

By Eric Marchese | Special to the NB Indy Jon Robin Baitz’s “Other Desert Cities,” a 2011 drama rarely seen in Southern California since a Long Beach staging in the mid-2010s, joins countless utterly compelling portraits of fictional families in disarray, turmoil or outright dysfunction. Lovers of great theater will applaud...