Throughout the month of May, Segerstrom Center for the Arts is celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month by shining a spotlight on our local Asian American and Pacific Islander communities and artists. The monthlong celebration includes dance classes, live music, film screenings and fun activities for everyone in the Orange County community to enjoy! Artistic offerings include hula lessons at Tuesday Night Dance, Live on Argyros Stage concerts, the Southeast x East (SEE) Asian Film Festival and a capstone celebration where everyone’s invited to sing and dance the night away.

The celebration kicks off with our Tuesday Night Dance classes that will be all about hula. Tuesday Night Dance is a fun and upbeat program designed for all ages and abilities–all are welcome and no dance experience required. Instructor Toni Kemehana Pasion returns to the Plaza to share her knowledge on this island-based art form and new dances every week.

The festivities continue with the Southeast x East (SEE) Asian Film Festival, bringing acclaimed international films to the Samueli Theater from the Philippines, South Korea, Vietnam, and beyond, along with behind-the-scenes filmmaker Q&As and bonus shorts. Films include the award-winning Leonor Will Never Die, recognized as an imaginative tribute to the art of filmmaking, and Disney Pixar’s Turning Red, which tells the story of 13-year-old Mei Lee as she explores the chaos of growing up. The Center is also screening the South Korean drama Broker, a beautiful meditation on found family, and the award-winning Song Lang, which explores the unlikely bond between two men in 1990s Saigon. The SEE Asian Film Festival is presented by Segerstrom Center for the Arts and Some Folks Productions in partnership with Vietnamese American Arts and Letters Association (VAALA). 

The SEE Asian Film Festival will conclude with an AAPI Arts Celebration held on the Julianne and George Argyros Plaza. Everyone is welcome to enjoy a night out with performances from local DJ Donovan of The FeelGood Collective, breakdance performances, and a live concert from Cambodian-rock superstars, Dengue Fever! 

Tuesday Night Dance and the AAPI Arts Celebration events are free with RSVP. The SEE Asian Film Festival movie screenings are $10 per film. Reservations can be made online or by calling the Box Office.

Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month is presented with generous support from Charlie and Ling Zhang. 

Free Plaza Programming Presented by Samueli Foundation

 SOUTHEAST X EAST (SEE) ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL LINEUP

Leonor Will Never Die | Friday, May 12 at 7:30PM

Leonor Reyes was once a groundbreaking figure in the Filipino film industry during its ragtag action cinema glory days, but now she struggles with old age, mounting bills, and the untimely death of her son. While revisiting an unfinished script about a fearless protagonist trying to avenge his brother’s murder, Leonor is struck on the head by a falling television set and knocked into a coma. As she lies unconscious in the hospital, fantasy and reality begin to blur when Leonor finds herself awake inside her script, becoming the hero of her own story. An innovative blend of pulpy action homages, playful comedy, and touching family drama, “Leonor Will Never Die” won the Amplify Award at the Toronto International Film Festival as well as a World Cinema Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. It was nominated for Best International Film at the 2023 Independent Spirit Awards. 

Join us after the film for a panel discussion and Q&A with the filmmakers behind the movie! 

Turning Red | Saturday, May 13 at 10:00AM

Disney and Pixar’s “Turning Red” introduces Mei Lee, a confident, dorky 13-year-old torn between staying her mother’s dutiful daughter and the chaos of adolescence. Her protective, if not slightly overbearing mother, Ming, is never far from her daughter—an unfortunate reality for the teenager. And as if changes to her interests, relationships and body weren’t enough, whenever she gets too excited (which is practically ALWAYS), she “poofs” into a giant red panda! 

Broker | Saturday, May 13 at 1:30 PM

Ha Sang-hyeon (Song Kang-ho from “Parasite”) and his friend Dong-soo (Gang Dong-won) run an illegal business together: they steal babies from a church’s “baby box” and sell them to desperate parents on the adoption black market. But when a young mother, So-young (Lee Ji-eun), returns after abandoning her baby, she discovers their scheme and goes along with them to interview potential parents for her child. “Broker” was screened at the Cannes Film Festival where it won the Ecumenical Jury Prize along with the award for Best Actor for Song Kang-ho. “Broker” is rated R for language and adult themes.

Song Lang | Saturday, May 13 at 5:00PM

Set in 1980s Saigon, Song Lang is a gritty underworld noir hiding a tender, romantic heart. At the film’s core is the unlikely bond that develops between hunky, brooding Dung (Lien Binh Phat), a tough debt collector for a ruthless loan shark, and Linh Phung (V-pop star Isaac), a charismatic young opera singer for a struggling company that performs cai luong, a modern form of traditional Vietnamese folk opera. The two meet when Dung comes to forcefully collect a debt from the opera troupe, but when their paths cross again, a friendship—and then more—develops, awakening surprising, tender feelings in both men. Their story, too, soon scales operatic heights. With his first feature film, director Leon Le has delivered a rich drama: a smoldering relationship between two apparent opposites—equally uncompromising—set against the backdrop of a gorgeous, fading art form.

Bonus Short: Summer Winter Summer 

Before the film, join us for a special screening of the short “SummerWinterSummer” and a talk with director and writer Thy Tran. 

In “SummerWinterSummer” after Martin disappears without an explanation, Duy spends sleepless nights wandering around the city, meeting strangers online, hoping to find some kind of connection to help him fill the void. Without considering the consequences, Duy ventures into the night and finds himself in darker places than he can imagine. “SummerWinterSummer” is an official selection of CAAMFest and the San Diego Asian FF, two of the biggest Asian American film festivals in the US. “SummerWinterSummer” was also nominated as Best Short at the Viet Film Fest. 

AAPI Arts Celebration | Saturday, May 13 at 7:00PM

Join us for a celebration on the Julianne and George Argyros Plaza featuring live music, dance performances, food trucks, and local vendors! In this capstone celebration, everyone’s invited to enjoy sounds from DJ Donovan of OC’s FeelGood Collective, a creative movement inspired by music, dance and art. He will be playing the best of R&B hits accompanied by breakdance performances by Wreckshop and B.E. (Becoming Eternal), two emerging dance groups from Southern California that compete in local and national Breakin Battles. Cambodian rock superstars Dengue Fever will headline!

The Cambodian rock band Dengue Fever was founded in 2002 with saxophonist David Ralicke (Beck/Brazzaville), drummer Paul Dreux Smith, and bassist Senon Williams (Radar Brothers). They have performed in front of thousands of fans at such noted music festivals as WOMAD (UK, AUS, NZ), WOMEX (Spain), Melbourne Festival (AUS), Glastonbury (UK), Bumbershoot, (USA), Transmusicales (France), Roskilde (Denmark), Electric Picnic (Ireland), Peace and Love (Sweden), Treasure Island (USA) among many others. Their songs have appeared in films such as City of Ghosts, Jim Jarmusch’s Broken Flowers, The Hangover 2, the Showtime series, Weeds, HBO’s hit series True Blood, and numerous independent documentaries.

 The festival offers a perfect opportunity for people of all backgrounds to come together, learn about AAPI culture, and celebrate diversity.

Tuesday Night Dance: Hula | Tuesdays, May 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 at 6:30PM

Toni Kemehana Pasion is an Inland Empire-based dancer, educator, and community organizer who specializes in Indigenous Hawaiian and Philippine dance practices. She is a Lecturer of Dance at the University of California Riverside, company choreographer at Infuse Dance Studio and dance instructor for the Philippine American Intercultural School-Inland Empire. Toni’s work intentionally represents how indigenous worldviews, dance, and storytelling can serve as tools for connection amongst diverse groups of people.

AAPI Heritage Month Celebration

Southeast x East (SEE) Asian Film Festival

Samueli Theater

Leonor Will Never Die – May 12, 7:30PM

Turning Red – May 13, 10:00AM

Broker – May 13, 1:30PM 

Song Lang – May 13, 5:00PM

Tickets $10 per film

AAPI Arts Celebration

Julianne and George Argyros Plaza

Saturday, May 13 at 7:30PM
Free with RSVP

Tuesday Night Dance: Hula

Julianne and George Argyros Plaza

Tuesdays, May 2, 9, 16, 23 & 30 at 6:30PM
Free with RSVP

Box Office
In person – The Box Office
600 Town Center Drive
Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Monday 10am to 2pm
Tuesday through Friday 12pm to 5pm
Saturday and Sunday: Closed

Phone – Monday – Friday 10am to 5pm
(714) 556-2787

Online – SCFTA.org

Segerstrom Center for the Arts is an innovative, nonprofit arts organization committed to supporting artistic excellence, creating impactful educational programs, and dedicated to engaging a culturally connected, inclusive and vital Orange County community for all, through the power of live performance.  
 

As the leading cultural arts hub, the Center presents a variety of programming with performances by international dance companies, Broadway national tours, jazz and cabaret musicians, chamber orchestras and ensembles, comedy, and speaker series. Through the Education and Community Engagement departments, the Center also delivers family-friendly programming and performances on the Julianne and George Argyros Plaza; these events include outdoor movie screenings, concerts, dance classes, diverse festivals and more.   
 
With six venues on a beautiful multi-disciplinary campus, Segerstrom Center for the Arts proudly serves as the artistic home to three of the region’s major performing arts organizations: Pacific
Symphony, Philharmonic Society of Orange County and Pacific Chorale as well as two independently acclaimed organizations: Tony Award®-winning South Coast Repertory and a site opening this fall as the home of the Orange County Museum of Art. Segerstrom Center is also home to the American Ballet Theatre William J. Gillespie School and Studio D, Arts School for All Abilities.    
 

Segerstrom Center for the Arts applauds its corporate partner Kaiser Permanente, Official Health Care Partner.

The information provided is accurate at the time of printing but is subject to change. Segerstrom Center for the Arts is a public, non-profit organization. “Segerstrom Center for the Arts” is a registered trademark.  

PACIFIC SYMPHONY ANNOUNCES THE APPOINTMENT OF
NEW PRINCIPAL POPS CONDUCTOR, ENRICO LOPEZ-YAÑEZ

Music Director Carl St.Clair and Pacific Symphony are pleased to announce the appointment of Enrico Lopez-Yañez as the orchestra’s new Principal Pops Conductor, effective  Sept. 1, 2023. In the 2023-24 season, Lopez-Yañez will lead the orchestra in four programs of the seven-concert Pacific Symphony Pops series underwritten by the Sharon and Tom Malloy Family. He will occupy the Hal and Jeanette Segerstrom Family Foundation Principal Pops Conductor Chair.

Pacific Symphony Pops series consists of seven programs presented on Friday and Saturday evenings at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. For the past 32 years, it was led by Pacific Symphony Principal Pops Conductor Laureate, Richard Kaufman. Over the many years of producing Pops concerts, Pacific Symphony has collaborated with a diverse array of luminaries who have appeared including America, Burt Bacharach, Tony Bennett, Chris Botti, Ray Charles, John Denver, Kenny G, Gladys Knight, Kenny Loggins, The Beach Boys, Olivia Newton-John, Linda Ronstadt, Pink Martini, The Righteous Brothers, Smokey Robinson, Martin Short, John Williams, and many other leading figures in entertainment. The lush support provided by the musicians of Pacific Symphony regularly draw praise from the artists who, in some cases, made their symphonic debut.

“I am so pleased to appoint Enrico as my conducting and artistic colleague. His connection to members of Pacific Symphony as well as his love of Southern California was very appealing to me. He is a terrific conductor and an imaginative programmer. Enrico will bring a fresh perspective and energy to the series, which I look forward to witnessing,” offered Music Director Carl St.Clair.

“Pacific Symphony has had a proud tradition of bringing high-quality entertainment through the Pops series. To build on this tradition, we are extremely excited to welcome Enrico to our orchestra and community,” said John Forsyte, President and CEO of Pacific Symphony. “He brings a joy to music-making and infectious enthusiasm for fusing music and entertainment. His talent, experience, and insights into popular symphonic music, pop artists, film projects, and thematic programs will lift our pop series concerts to a new level and expand the orchestra’s reach in the community. He is committed to expanding our reach into new communities by offering programs that celebrate different cultures.”

Lopez-Yañez is known for his energy, enthusiasm, and ability to connect with his audience, and he has conducted renowned orchestras around the world. With extensive training in classical music and a great passion for popular music, Lopez-Yañez has a unique and engaging approach that has captivated audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

“I am delighted and honored to begin my work with the fabulous musicians of Pacific Symphony as their new Principal Pops Conductor,” commented Lopez-Yañez. “The talent and warmth that the musicians and staff have already demonstrated excite me as we embark on this musical journey together. Having grown up in Southern California, I cannot wait to cultivate collaborations in the greater Orange County community and develop new and innovative programming in order to continue to grow Pacific Symphony’s relationship with our audience.”

Lopez-Yañez’s first concert as Principal Pops Conductor Designate will take place on June 9 and 10 when he leads a Pops program headlined by Renée Elise Goldsberry, American actress and singer known for originating the role of Angelica Schuyler in the Broadway musical Hamilton, for which she won the 2016 Tony® Award for “Best Featured Actress in a Musical.”

Pacific Symphony is recognized for its musical excellence and its commitment to the community. With the arrival of Lopez-Yañez, the orchestra will continue its tradition of bringing exciting and unforgettable musical experiences to the Southern California community.

The 2023-24 Pacific Symphony Pops series will be announced shortly and is expected to include electrifying performances of popular music’s most enduring favorites backed by the “Hollywood” sound of Pacific Symphony. For more information, please visit the Symphony website at www.pacificsymphony.org.

Enrico Lopez-Yañez is the newly appointed Principal Pops Conductor of Pacific Symphony, a title which he also holds at the Nashville Symphony. Lopez-Yañez is quickly establishing himself as one of the nation’s leading conductors of popular music and is becoming known for his unique style of audience engagement. In his six seasons working with the Nashville Symphony, Lopez-Yañez has curated the Pops Series and special concerts with a broad spectrum of artists including: Nas, Patti LaBelle, Itzhak Perlman, Stewart Copeland, Kenny Loggins, Toby Keith, Trisha Yearwood, Kelsea Ballerini, Leslie Odom Jr., Megan Hilty, Tituss Burgess, Hanson, Kenny G, and more.

This season, Lopez-Yañez will collaborate with artists including Aida Cuevas, The Beach Boys, Cody Fry, Gladys Knight, Vanesa Williams, Ledisi, and Pink Martini. Lopez-Yañez will appear with the Baltimore Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Phoenix Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, and Seattle Symphony as well as make return appearances with the Dallas Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Omaha Symphony, San Diego Symphony, and Utah Symphony.

As Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Symphonica Productions, LLC, Lopez-Yañez curates and leads programs designed to cultivate new audiences. An enthusiastic proponent of innovating the concert experience, his exciting education, classical, and pops concerts are performed by orchestras across the United States.

As a producer, composer, and arranger, Lopez-Yañez’s work can be heard on numerous albums including the UNESCO benefit album Action Moves People United and children’s music albums including The Spaceship that Fell in My Backyard, winner of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, Hollywood Music and Media Awards, Family Choice Awards, and Kokowanda Bay, winner of a Global Media Award as well as a Parents’ Choice Award where Lopez-Yañez was lauded for his “catchy arrangements” (Parents’ Choice Foundation).

Photo Credit: Pacific Symphony

Segerstrom Center for the Arts

Announces the North American Premiere of

American Ballet Theatre’s Like Water for Chocolate,

Christopher Wheeldon’s latest full-length ballet

Casting Announced:

Cassandra Trenary and Herman Cornejo lead the opening night cast

Music Performed Live by Pacific Symphony

March 29-April 2 in Segerstrom Hall

Tickets are on sale now at scfta.org

American Ballet Theatre is the Official Dance Company of Segerstrom Center for the Arts

Segerstrom Center for the Arts presents the North American Premiere of Christopher Wheeldon’s latest ballet, Like Water for Chocolate, from American Ballet Theatre for six performances from Wednesday, March 29 through Sunday, April 2. Center audiences will be the first in the country to experience this magical Mexican love story, with the stellar dancers of ABT translating this richly layered story.

Co-presented by the Center and ABT, led by Artistic Director Susan Jaffe, this three-act work is set to an original score by Joby Talbot and inspired by Laura Esquivel’s captivating and best-selling novel of the same name. This family saga set in 19^th-century Mexico tells the story of Tita, a young Mexican woman overwhelmed by a sense of duty and family tradition, unable to marry until her mother dies.

In the novel, Esquivel writes, “For Tita, the joy of living was wrapped up in the delights of food.” Emotion runs deep, her only form of expression spilling out from the kitchen— influencing everyone around her in startling and dramatic ways. Her life takes an unexpected turn when she falls in forbidden love with her wealthy neighbor Pedro. Their hidden passion has far-reaching—and devastating—consequences.

Esquivel’s original novel has sold more than 4.5 million copies around the world and has been translated into more than 30 languages, while the memorable film adaptation won ten Ariel Awards (Mexico’s highest film honor), including Best Picture and, at the time of its release in 1992, was the highest-grossing foreign film in the United States and Canada.

Esquivel said, “Having Christopher and his team transform my story into a ballet is truly magical for me. It was a great pleasure to have them visit Mexico for extensive research and to develop the scenario together. I am amazed at how Christopher can translate deep emotions into movement, and I can’t wait to see this wonderful creative adventure unfold.”

Casting for Like Water for Chocolate

Wednesday, March 29 at 7:30 p.m. – Cassandra Trenary* (Tita), Herman Cornejo* (Pedro),                                                                         Christine Shevchenko* (Elena), Hee Seo* (Rosaura),

Catherine Hurlin* (Gertrudis), Cory Stearns* (Dr. John Brown)

Thursday, March 30 at 7:30 p.m. – SunMi Park* (Tita), Daniel Camargo* (Pedro),

Zhong-Jing Fang* (Elena), Chloe Misseldine* (Rosaura),

Skylar Brandt* (Gertrudis), Calvin Royal III* (Dr. John Brown)

Friday, March 31 at 7:30 p.m. – Cassandra Trenary (Tita), Herman Cornejo (Pedro),

Christine Shevchenko (Elena), Hee Seo (Rosaura),

Catherine Hurlin (Gertrudis), Cory Stearns (Dr. John Brown)

Saturday Matinee, April 1 at 2:00 p.m. – Devon Teuscher* (Tita), Joo Won Ahn* (Pedro),

Christine Shevchenko (Elena), Betsy McBride* (Rosaura),

Catherine Hurlin (Gertrudis), Thomas Forster* (Dr. John Brown)

Saturday Evening, April 1 at 7:30 p.m. – SunMi Park (Tita), Daniel Camargo (Pedro),

Zhong-Jing Fang (Elena), Chloe Misseldine (Rosaura),

Skylar Brandt (Gertrudis), Calvin Royal III (Dr. John Brown)

Sunday Matinee, April 2 at 2:00 p.m. – Cassandra Trenary (Tita), Herman Cornejo (Pedro),

Christine Shevchenko (Elena), Hee Seo (Rosaura),

Catherine Hurlin (Gertrudis), Cory Stearns (Dr. John Brown)

*Debut in the role

More about Like Water for Chocolate

Like Water for Chocolate received its World Premiere from The Royal Ballet on June 2, 2022, at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London. Following the North American Premiere engagement at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, the New York Premiere will take place Thursday evening, June 22, at 6:30 P.M. at the Metropolitan Opera House, through Saturday, July 1, during ABT’s Summer season at Lincoln Center.

Lindsay Winship said in The Guardian, “Not all choreographers are good directors, but Christopher Wheeldon is … Expertly crafted ensemble scenes are full of buoyant energy, action, and rhythmic dancing. And the pas de deux are playful, with inventive imagery. The solidity of the production and the imagination of Esquivel’s world keep this ballet an engrossing, propulsive, fulfilling watch.”

Roslyn Sulcas said in The New York Times, “It’s testament to his skills and his team of regular collaborators that Christopher Wheeldon has succeeded in creating a big-spectacle ballet. Joby Talbot’s commissioned score (impressively conducted by Alondra de la Parra, who served as music consultant) is serviceably lush, using guitar, varied percussion, and Mexican instruments like the ocarina. Crowley’s décor, influenced by the Mexican architect Luis Barragán, is spare and ingenious; Natasha Katz’s lighting adroitly suggests changes in time and place.”

Judy Morr, Executive Vice President for Segerstrom Center for the Arts, shares, “Nothing could be sweeter than hosting the North American Premiere of Like Water for Chocolate for American Ballet Theatre’s Spring engagement at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. To give our patrons and ballet aficionados the unique opportunity of being the first audience in the country to see this magical Mexican love story come to life by the extraordinary and talented ABT dancers is exciting.”

Susan Jaffe, Artistic Director of American Ballet Theatre, commented, “Putting together a production the size and caliber of Like Water for Chocolate have been both an exciting and challenging process. The dancers work so hard and beautifully to bring this deep, moving ballet to life on stage. ABT thanks Laura for sharing her story with Christopher and us for his creativity and partnership during this process.”

Like Water for Chocolate is a co-production between The Royal Ballet and American Ballet Theatre and is Christopher Wheeldon’s latest full-length ballet, marking a reunion of the creative team who delivered the critically acclaimed Royal Ballet productions Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (2011) and The Winter’s Tale (2014). Wheeldon is celebrated for his expressive choreography and theatricality and has worked extensively with the world’s leading dance companies. In 2014, he directed and choreographed the stage version of the musical An American in Paris and recently directed and choreographed MJ The Musical, winning the Tony Award for Best Choreography.

Wheeldon worked closely with Esquivel to reshape her story of magical realism into an entertaining and engrossing new ballet with a newly commissioned score by Joby Talbot and designs by Bob Crowley. Mexican conductor Alondra de la Parra will lead Pacific Symphony by adding featured Mexican musician Tomás Barreiro on solo guitar. Lighting is by Natasha Katz, and video design is by Luke Halls.

Single tickets for American Ballet Theatre’s Like Water for Chocolate start at $29 and are available online at SCFTA.org, at the Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa, or by calling (714) 556-2787.  For inquiries about group ticket discounts for 10 or more, call the Group Services offices at (714)755-0236.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts applauds Kaiser Permanente, its Official Health Care Partner. Riviera Magazine is the official media partner for the 22/23 Dance Series. The Center’s International Dance Series is made possible by Audrey Steele Burnand Endowed Fund for International Dance and the Segerstrom Foundation Endowment for Great Performances.

The Center especially recognizes co-lead production support from Elizabeth Segerstrom and the Spenuzza Velastegui Family Foundation with additional support by Mr. and Mrs. Eyal Aronoff, Mary and Richard Cramer, Kling Family Foundation and Jackie Glass, Lana and Walter Parsadayan, Michelle Rohé, Mr. and Mrs. George Schreyer, Stewart R. Smith and Robin A. Ferracone, and Tammy and Samuel Tang.

Book Discussion Series Engages Orange County Community

Segerstrom Center for the Arts, in partnership with the Orange County Public Library, is offering a book discussion series with curated chapter readings to bring greater awareness of the novel and the new ballet production to the Orange County community. Guests who attend the book readings will receive copies of Laura Esquivel’s Like Water for Chocolate.

The two first book discussions were held on January 24 and February 23, 2023, featuring award-winning author Lilliam Rivera and OC Poet Laureate Natalie J. Graham and Cynthia A. Briano, respectively. The third book discussion will be held on March 23 at 6 pm at San Juan Capistrano Library led by author Marytza K. Rubio who was nominated for a 2022 National Book Award for her debut collection Maria, Maria & Other Stories.

There will also be a Like Water for Chocolate community movie screening on Sunday, March 5, 2023, at 1:30 pm at The Frida Cinema in Downtown Santa Ana, Orange County’s only non-profit art house theater.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts and American Ballet Theatre Partnership

Segerstrom Center for the Arts and American Ballet Theatre’s co-presentation of Like Water for Chocolate continues the partnership between America’s National Ballet Company® and one of the nation’s leading presenters of dance. The Center is set to continue holding ABT World and West Coast Premieres and engagements each spring through 2024, including a third World Premiere in 2024.

Since 2015, ABT has wowed Southern California audiences at Segerstrom Center with annual holiday engagements of The Nutcracker, totaling over 75 performances. In 1988, ABT gave the World Premiere of Mikhail Baryshnikov’s Swan Lake at the Center, and in 1999, the ABT production of Le Corsaire was taped for broadcast on PBS’ Dance in America. In 2008, ABT co-commissioned Twyla Tharp’s Rabbit and Rogue with Segerstrom Center for the Arts, which received its World Premiere in New York and its West Coast Premiere at the Center.

The Center additionally held the West Coast Premiere of former ABT Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie’s The Sleeping Beauty in 2007, as well as several ballets by ABT Artist in Residence Alexei Ratmansky, including the World Premiere of a new production of Firebird in 2012, the West Coast Premiere of The Nutcracker in 2015, the World Premiere of Whipped Cream in 2017, the West Coast Premiere of Harlequinade in 2019, and the World Premiere and co-commissioned production Of Love and Rage in 2020.

In April 2021, the Center presented Uniting in Movement, a unique dance project that brought 18 ABT dancers together for safe collaboration and exhilarating performance of new works by Jessica Lang, Lauren Lovette, and Darrell Grand Moultrie. In March 2022, ABT and the Center presented a mixed repertory program that included the World Premiere of Single Eye by Alonzo King to the music of Jason Moran, the West Coast Premiere of Ratmansky’s Bernstein in a Bubble, and Jessica Lang’s ZigZag, featuring songs recorded by Tony Bennett.

American Ballet Theatre is one of the greatest dance companies in the world. Revered as a national treasure since its founding season in 1940, its mission is to create, present, preserve, and extend the great repertoire of classical dancing for the widest possible audience. Headquartered in New York City, ABT is the only cultural institution of its size and stature to tour extensively, enchanting audiences for eight decades in 50 U.S. states, 45 countries, and over 480 cities worldwide. ABT’s repertoire includes full-length classics from the nineteenth century, the finest works from the early twentieth century, and acclaimed contemporary masterpieces. In 2006, by an act of Congress, ABT was designated America’s National Ballet Company®. Find out more at ABT.org and follow ABT dancers at @abtofficial on Instagram, on Twitter at @ABTBallet, and on Facebook at @AmericanBalletTheatre.

Under the directorship of Kevin O’Hare, The Royal Ballet unites tradition and innovation in world-class performances and is a driving force in the development of ballet as an art form. Based at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, it brings together today’s most dynamic and versatile dancers with a world-class orchestra and leading choreographers, composers, conductors, directors, and creative teams to share awe-inspiring theatrical experiences with diverse audiences worldwide. The Company’s extensive repertory embraces 19th-century classics, the singular legacy of works by Founder Choreographer Frederick Ashton and Principal Choreographer Kenneth MacMillan, the compelling new canon of work by choreographers today including Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor and Artistic Associate Christopher Wheeldon, and the bold and complementary programming in the Linbury Theatre. Guest choreographers Cathy Marston, Crystal Pite, Twyla Tharp, Pam Tanowitz, Hofesh Shechter, and Sid Larbi Cherkaoui have also created work for the Company.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts is an innovative, nonprofit arts organization committed to supporting artistic excellence, creating impactful educational programs, and dedicated to engaging a culturally connected, inclusive, and vital Orange County community for all, through the power of live performance.

As the leading cultural arts hub, the Center presents a variety of programming with performances by international dance companies, Broadway national tours, jazz and cabaret musicians, chamber orchestras and ensembles, comedy, and speaker series. Through the Education and Community Engagement departments, the Center also delivers family-friendly programming and performances on the Julianne and George Argyros Plaza; these events include outdoor movie screenings, concerts, dance classes, diverse festivals, and more.

With six venues on a beautiful multi-disciplinary campus, Segerstrom Center for the Arts proudly serves as the artistic home to three of the region’s major performing arts organizations: Pacific Symphony, Philharmonic Society of Orange County, and Pacific Chorale as well as two independently acclaimed organizations: Tony Award®-winning South Coast Repertory and a site opening this fall as the home of the Orange County Museum of Art. Segerstrom Center is also home to the American Ballet Theatre William J. Gillespie School and Studio D, Arts School for All Abilities.

American Ballet Theatre

Like Water for Chocolate

Segerstrom Center for the Arts

Segerstrom Hall

March 29 – April 2, 2023

Wednesday, March 29 at 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, March 30 at 7:30 p.m.

Friday, March 31 at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 1 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Sunday, April 2 at 2:00 p.m.

In-person and Phone-

The Box Office

600 Town Center Drive

Costa Mesa, CA 92626

(714) 556-2787

Monday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Tuesday through Friday Noon- 5 p.m.

Closed Saturdays and Sundays

Tickets start at $29

Online – SCFTA.org

Group Sales – (714) 755-0236

Photo Credit: SCFTA

The information provided is accurate at the time of printing but is subject to change. Segerstrom Center for the Arts is a public, non-profit organization. “Segerstrom Center for the Arts” is a registered trademark.