There are plenty of reasons to visit Orange County, California all year round. There are endless possibilities for entertainment every day of the week. This summer is packed with a great line-up of entertainment options. Here are just a few that I will be attending in Orange County this summer. Hope to see you there.
The Sound of Music at Segerstrom Center – July 19 – 31
Directed by three-time Tony Award winner Jack O’Brien, The Sound of Music will make its Orange County premiere as part of a North American tour. The 2 p.m. performance on Saturday, July 30 will include audio description, open captioning and sign-language interpretation.
According to director Jack O’Brien, “The Sound of Music has been in our ears for decades, as it deserves to be. But it might be time to look once more, and more closely, at this remarkable work which, I feel, begins to reveal itself as deeper, richer, and more powerful than ever. It’s no longer ‘your mother’s’ familiar Sound of Music. We are tearing off the varnish of the past from one of the great glories of our theater-going experience and making it fresh! This is an opportunity we’ve all longed to create!”
The Wizard of Oz & ET in Concert at Segerstrom Center
The Philharmonic Society of Orange County, in partnership with the Newport Beach Film Festival, is pleased to announce a symphonic cinema experience for Orange County audiences this summer with its inaugural Music & Film Series, featuring screenings of Oscar-winning films The Wizard of Oz and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial accompanied by live soundtrack performances by the San Diego Symphony conducted by Sarah Hicks. Each performance date will feature the film shown on a big screen suspended in the concert hall with the San Diego Symphony on stage below. The Wizard of Oz will take place Saturday, July 9, 8 pm, and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial on Tuesday, August 23, 8 pm.
Pageant of the Masters – Laguna Beach – July 7 – August 31
The 2016 Pageant of the Masters, Partners, sets out in search of stories of compelling collaborations that led to the creation of unforgettable artworks. This one-of-a-kind theatrical event, featuring live narration and original music performed live by the Pageant’s orchestra, takes place in the beautiful Irvine Bowl on the grounds of Laguna’s Festival of Arts.
Sawdust Art & Craft Festival – Laguna Beach
Celebrating the soul of art for 50 years! Sawdust Art Festival was voted “Best Festival” by OC Weekly, and “one of the country’s top five festivals” by American Style Magazine, featuring artwork created only in Laguna Beach. Located in a beautiful eucalyptus grove, visitors experience the creativity of more than 200 local artisans. Sawdust exhibitors create and sell unique pieces from a wide variety of media. Visitors are drawn to the large glass-blowing enclosure where glass masters perform their skill at the furnace. Other highlights of the festival include complimentary art activities for children and adults, live entertainment, a great selection of outdoor cafes, and the Sawdust Saloon.
ELVIS PRESLEY Hits in Musical Comedy – “ALL SHOOK UP” – Laguna Playhouse
In ALL SHOOK UP, one girl’s dream and a surprise visit from a mysterious leather-jacketed, guitar-playing stranger help a small town to discover the magic of romance and the power of rock & roll in this all Elvis musical, loosely based on William Shakespeare’s play Twelfth Night.
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Do you know of an interesting event coming up in Orange County, California? I’m also on the lookout for the next great bucketlist idea.
