From charity galas to new art exhibits, these are the Orange County winter events you don't want to miss.
Kennedy Contemporary’s exhibit of 17 paintings by Leslie Allen includes “Glacial Drift, an elegy” (2020, oil on canvas), 60 inches by 72 inches PHOTO BY: DANA SPAETH PHOTOGRAPHY
Through 2/21
Point~Counterpoint by Leslie Allen
This solo exhibition at Kennedy Contemporary features works created by San Francisco Bay Area abstract painter Leslie Allen. During the pandemic, the multitalented artist practiced the cello remotely for the Marin Symphony Orchestra, inspiring her to adopt bold new painting styles. Enjoy 17 pieces—which range from geometric and lyrical to dark and light—that showcase Allen’s skill with color and form. Kennedy Contemporary, Newport Beach, kennedycontemporary.com
Conductor Carl St.Clair leads Pacific Symphony’s Lunar New Year event PHOTO BY: DOUG GIFFORD PHOTOGRAPHY
Through 2/27
Next to Normal
Chance Theater’s production of this 2008 rock musical—which won three Tony Awards and the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama—explores how the bipolar disorder a mother has been battling for 16 years impacts her architect husband and teenage daughter and son. The emotional show is directed by Matthew McCray and musical director Stephen Hulsey, with book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey and music by Tom Kitt. Chance Theater at Bette Aitken Theater Arts Center, Anaheim, chancetheater.com
2/3
Sacre by Circa
Australian performance troupe Circa—which has pushed the limits of contemporary circus and toured in 39 countries—takes on Russian composer Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring in this cutting-edge show. As Stravinsky’s classical music and a new composition by Philippe Bachman plays, 10 intrepid acrobats will showcase their athletic talents to a brilliant light display—with poetic and powerful results. 8PM, Irvine Barclay Theatre, thebarclay.org
See Wicked’s Elphaba and Glinda at Segerstrom Hall. PHOTO BY: JOAN MARCUS
2/5
Lunar New Year
To honor the Year of the Tiger, conductor Carl St.Clair will lead Pacific Symphony’s annual festivities for the Lunar New Year—the beginning of a calendar year in which months are based on the moon cycles. This popular performance unites communities over celebratory Eastern and Western music and dance. 8PM, Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, Costa Mesa, scfta.org
2/5
Which One’s Pink?
Join this Los Angeles-based tribute band for an electric show paying homage to classic rock band Pink Floyd. Founded in 1997 by vocalist and keyboardist Larry Isenberg, the group’s name references the famed lyrics from Pink Floyd’s 1975 song “Have a Cigar”—“The band is just fantastic, that is really what I think, oh by the way, which one’s pink?” 9PM, City National Grove of Anaheim, citynationalgroveofanaheim.com
2/9-3/6
Wicked
Back by popular demand, Stephen Schwartz’s 2003 musical blockbuster—which won over 100 international awards and three Tonys—explores what happened before and after Dorothy arrives in Oz from Kansas. This tale of two unlikely friends is the origin story of green-skinned and misunderstood Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, and the beautiful and popular Glinda, who later becomes Glinda the Good Witch. Segerstrom Hall, Costa Mesa, scfta.org
2/11
Go Red for Women Luncheon
Join the fight to prevent heart disease and stroke by supporting the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women movement, which has been educating millions of women on the risk of cardiovascular disease since 2004. Over lunch at this empowering gathering in Newport, hear inspiring stories of people impacted, get health tips and help fundraise to save more lives. 10AM, Balboa Bay Resort, Newport Beach, heart.org
2/12
Disney x Stoney Clover Lane: Mickey & Friends Collection Launch
Stoney Clover Lane will celebrate the launch of the Mickey & Friends Collection with an in-store fete at the Newport Beach location. Inspired by favorite Disney characters, the whimsical day will include snacks, surprises and friendship-filled fun. Shop the complete Mickey & Friends collection at all Stoney Clover Lane retail stores and online. 10AM, Stoney Clover Lane, Newport Beach, stoneycloverlane.com
2/12-8/28
Everest: Ascent to Glory
The Bowers Museum partners with the Royal Geographical Society on this collection of photographs, films and artifacts documenting the five expeditions (including the first successful attempt) to climb the tallest mountain on earth, located in the Himalayas. Curated by Wade Davis 100 years after the first expedition to Mount Everest in 1921, this exhibit celebrates the unsung heroes and changing technologies which enabled Britain’s Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary to reach the top in 1953. Bowers Museum, Santa Ana, bowers.org
Climber Mark Synott will share his high-stakes adventures at Irvine Barclay Theatre Feb. 20 PHOTO COURTESY OF: MARK SYNNOTT
2/19-21
Harlem Globetrotters
Combining basketball, theater and comedy, this world-famous team will play three entertaining Spread Games at Honda Center—two on Feb. 19 and one on Feb. 21. Watch these original streetball players’ skillful moves and engage with them through new celebrity court and pre-show passes, meet-and-greets and interactive components that enable fans to feel like part of the show. Honda Center, Anaheim, harlemglobetrotters.com
2/20
Nat Geo Live: Mark Synnott – Life on the Vertical
Hear from the big wall rock climber—who’s made famous first ascents of some of the world’s tallest walls, from Baffin Island to Pakistan, accessing forbidding environments and rare species—in this program presented by National Geographic Live. 4PM, Irvine Barclay Theatre, thebarclay.org
2/24-27
You’ve Got a Friend: Celebrating the Music of Carole King and James Taylor
Nashville songwriter, pianist and vocalist Kirsti Manna teams with singer and guitarist Jonathan Birchfield to celebrate the music and friendship of Carole King and James Taylor. The duo conjures King and Taylor’s chemistry with performances of favorites like “How Sweet It Is” and “You’ve Got a Friend.” Laguna Playhouse, Laguna Beach, lagunaplayhouse.com
Everest: Ascent to Glory documents the expeditions of climbers including Sir Edmund Hillary, pictured here in 1953. PHOTO COURTESY OF: ©ROYAL GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY (WITH IBG)
2/25
Linda Eder: By Myself – The Songs of Judy Garland
Singer and actress Linda Eder—who originated the role of Lucy Harris in Broadway’s Jekyll & Hyde and has performed at Carnegie Hall and Radio City Music Hall—honors the late Judy Garland with a concert of her beloved hits, including “You Made Me Love You” and “Over the Rainbow.” 8PM, Irvine Barclay Theatre, thebarclay.org
2/27
The Langston Hughes Project
To celebrate Black Heritage Month, Ron McCurdy and his Quartet—as well as a 55-piece orchestra from Pacific Symphony—will bring the poetry of Langston Hughes to life. 7PM, Irvine Barclay Theatre, thebarclay.org
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