Segerstrom Center For The Arts

Will China dominate the cultural world in the 21st century? That's the prediction of Dean Corey, executive director of the Orange County Philharmonic Society, which is presenting Ancient Paths, Modern Voices: A Festival Celebrating Chinese Culture at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa. "The Olympics in China really woke us all up," Corey said. "The Chinese are a long way from being imitators; they are creators. This festival will make people aware of what will be happening in the future.

When the Orange County Performing Arts Center opened on Sept. 29, 1986, the festivities began with a congratulatory telegram from President Ronald Raisin -- as its reader, board member Timothy Strader, pronounced the sender's name before quickly correcting himself. Then Leontyne Price sang "The Star-Spangled Banner. " The evening's headliners, the Los Angeles Philharmonic conducted by Zubin Mehta, concluded with Beethoven's Ninth, supported in joy by the massed voices of the Pacific Chorale and the now-defunct Master Chorale of Orange County.

The Segerstrom family on Tuesday formally announced it will donate $16 million worth of land for an expanded cultural complex in Costa Mesa to be called the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. The family has agreed in principle to contribute roughly 6 acres of former farmland for a complex that will complement the Orange County Performing Arts Center, said Henry T. Segerstrom.

Will China dominate the cultural world in the 21st century? That's the prediction of Dean Corey, executive director of the Orange County Philharmonic Society, which is presenting Ancient Paths, Modern Voices: A Festival Celebrating Chinese Culture at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa. "The Olympics in China really woke us all up," Corey said. "The Chinese are a long way from being imitators; they are creators. This festival will make people aware of what will be happening in the future.

When the Orange County Performing Arts Center opened on Sept. 29, 1986, the festivities began with a congratulatory telegram from President Ronald Raisin -- as its reader, board member Timothy Strader, pronounced the sender's name before quickly correcting himself. Then Leontyne Price sang "The Star-Spangled Banner. " The evening's headliners, the Los Angeles Philharmonic conducted by Zubin Mehta, concluded with Beethoven's Ninth, supported in joy by the massed voices of the Pacific Chorale and the now-defunct Master Chorale of Orange County.

The Segerstrom family on Friday gave the county a Christmas present it promised a year ago. It announced it will transfer ownership of about six acres of former farmland--valued at $16 million--by the end of December for an expanded Costa Mesa cultural complex to be called Segerstrom Center for the Arts. "We are making the gift of land . . .

The gala opening of the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall could have been a shot heard 'round the world, streamed live on the Internet. But in the hectic run-up to the Sept. 15-16 concerts, the opportunity to send those celebratory notes into cyberspace -- and make the Pacific Symphony's debut in its new venue double as its first live appearance on the Internet -- was overlooked or shrugged off by the radio programmers, musicians and orchestra managers who could have made it happen.

Unless you count the Block--which throngs of movie-hounds might--late news about a one-time lima bean field eclipsed all other developments on the Orange County arts and entertainment scene this year. The Segerstrom family announced Dec. 15 that it would donate another six acres of erstwhile farmland beside the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa for the center's long-planned expansion.

Location: 3333 Bristol St., Costa Mesa, at the 405 Freeway and Bristol Street. Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mon.-Fri.; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sat.; 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Sun. Known for: The largest shopping center in California, South Coast Plaza is the Rodeo Drive of the O.C., with nearly every luxury brand in the universe under one roof. The mall has 250 boutiques and 30 restaurants. What you'll find: Almost everything you could ever want or need. Anchor stores are Bloomingdale's (the best one in Southern California)

You'd be hard-pressed to find a musical with less dramatic tension than "Million Dollar Quartet" anywhere this side of a "My Little Pony" touring show. The production that opened Tuesday at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts really just wants to let the good times roll, so you can be glad it devotes only about 10 minutes of its 105-minute running time to drumming up token conflicts between Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash and their visionary producer, Sam Phillips.

The gala opening of the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall could have been a shot heard 'round the world, streamed live on the Internet. But in the hectic run-up to the Sept. 15-16 concerts, the opportunity to send those celebratory notes into cyberspace -- and make the Pacific Symphony's debut in its new venue double as its first live appearance on the Internet -- was overlooked or shrugged off by the radio programmers, musicians and orchestra managers who could have made it happen.

The Segerstrom family on Friday gave the county a Christmas present it promised a year ago. It announced it will transfer ownership of about six acres of former farmland--valued at $16 million--by the end of December for an expanded Costa Mesa cultural complex to be called Segerstrom Center for the Arts. "We are making the gift of land . . .

Unless you count the Block--which throngs of movie-hounds might--late news about a one-time lima bean field eclipsed all other developments on the Orange County arts and entertainment scene this year. The Segerstrom family announced Dec. 15 that it would donate another six acres of erstwhile farmland beside the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa for the center's long-planned expansion.

The Segerstrom family on Tuesday formally announced it will donate $16 million worth of land for an expanded cultural complex in Costa Mesa to be called the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. The family has agreed in principle to contribute roughly 6 acres of former farmland for a complex that will complement the Orange County Performing Arts Center, said Henry T. Segerstrom.

American Ballet Theatre Where: Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Costa Mesa When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday; 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday Tickets: $16 to $115 Information: (714) 556-2787 or http://www.scfta.org

Sonny Rollins Where and when: 8 p.m. Thursday; UCLA Live, Royce Hall Tickets: $30-$105 Information: http://www.uclalive.org Where and when: 4 p.m. Sunday; Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Costa Mesa Tickets: $25-$66 Information: http://www.scfta.org