OPENS MAY 11
MUCK ANNUAL JAZZ FESTIVAL
The Muckenthaler’s annual jazz festival, which runs through June, opens May 11 with Rodolfo Zuniga, a jazz drummer from Costa Rica, and vocalist Femi Knight performing with the Cal State Fullerton Jazz Orchestra. On May 18, the Joe La Barbera Quintet plays music from its latest recording, “Live at Sam First,” and on May 25, guitar ensemble New West Guitars takes the stage. Muckenthaler Cultural Center, 1201 W. Malvern Ave., Fullerton, 714-738-6595, themuck.org
MAY 11 THROUGH 13
GERSHWIN’S RHAPSODY
This three-part concert starts with the Pacific Symphony and pianist Jeffrey Biegel performing Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” and “An American in Paris,” then moves to Argyros Plaza, where the John Tu and Friends band invites you to dance. Finally the show moves back inside with a showing of the 1927 silent film “It,” with live organ accompaniment by Dennis James. Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, 615 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714-755-5788, pacificsymphony.org
MAY 12 AND 13
SEE ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL
The Southeast x East Asian Film Festival marks Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with screenings of films made in the Philippines, South Korea, Vietnam, and more, including “Leonor Will Never Die,” “Turning Red,” “Broker,” and “Song Lang.” Programming also includes Q&As with filmmakers and screenings of short films. Samueli Theater, 615 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714-556-2787, scfta.org
MAY 12 THROUGH 14
L.A. DANCE PROJECT: “ROMEO & JULIET SUITE”
Artistic director Benjamin Millepied choreographed this update of “Romeo & Juliet,” setting it in a modern-day urban environment where the star-crossed lovers are kept apart by social norms. The dancing takes place on stage and off-stage; the off-stage portions are broadcast in real time on a screen over the stage. The cast changes nightly and features a man and a woman, two men, and two women in the lead roles. Segerstrom Hall, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714-556-2787, scfta.org
MAY 13
“TEA FOR THREE: LADY BIRD, PAT, & BETTY”
Emmy Award-winner Elaine Bromka plays three first ladies—Lady Bird Johnson, Pat Nixon, and Betty Ford—in this one-woman show providing a behind-the-scenes look at their lives. The play came out of the PBS show “The Presidents,” in which Bromka played eight first ladies; she was fascinated by their stories and collaborated with playwright Eric H. Weinberger to create the show. Curtis Theatre, 1 Civic Center Circle, Brea, 714-990-7722, curtistheatre.com
MAY 13
PLEIN AIR PAINT OUT
The Laguna Plein Air Painters Association hosts the event, which opens the Muckenthaler Cultural Center’s recently refurbished grounds to plein-air painters. Artists can register at lpapa.org, and art fans can show up and stroll through the gardens, observing the painters at work. Muckenthaler Cultural Center, 1201 W. Malvern Ave., Fullerton, 714-738-6595, themuck.org
MAY 13 AND 14
UCI OPERA PRESENTS GIANNI SCHICCHI
Students in the UC Irvine vocal arts program present this comic opera in one act by Giacomo Puccini. Appropriate for the whole family, it follows the family of Buoso Donati, a wealthy man who dies and leaves a will that no one was expecting. In their attempt to change this unhappy outcome, Donati’s relatives hire Gianni Schicchi, who conspires to hide Donati’s death and create a new will before anyone knows of his passing. Irvine Barclay Theatre, 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine, 949-854-4646, thebarclay.org
THROUGH MAY 14
“THE REALISTIC JONESES”
Nominated for the Outer Critics Award and Drama League Award in 2014, the play follows Bob and Jennifer Jones and their neighbors, John and Pony Jones. As they get to know each other, they learn that they have more in common than their last name and their identical houses. Haunting and surprising, the show landed on the 2014 New York Times’s “Best Plays of the Year” list. Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, 949-497-2787, lagunaplayhouse.com
THROUGH MAY 14
“NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC: THE GREATEST WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHS”
Throughout its history, National Geographic has been held up as the gold standard in wildlife photography. The exhibit here features more than 50 of the best photos published in the magazine, from its beginning 115 years ago to the current day. Muzeo, 241 S. Anaheim Blvd., Anaheim. 714-956-8936, muzeo.org
MAY 16 THROUGH 21
“CHICAGO”
Iconic femme fatales Roxie Hart and Velma Kelly fight for the spotlight among the convicted murderers in the Cook County Jail in the beloved musical by John Kander, Fred Ebb, and Bob Fosse. Featuring famous songs such as “All That Jazz,” “Mr. Cellophane,” “Cell Block Tango,” and “Razzle Dazzle,” this revival of the original 1976 show won six Tony Awards in 1997. Segerstrom Hall, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 714-556-2787, scfta.org
