A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder

Brea's Curtis Theater presents this darkly comic musical about an ambitious young relative of a weatlhy nobleman who decides to kill every family member who stands between him and the inheritance MORE

♦ Visual Arts ♦

The Three Prolific Sister Artists from Monterey that Time Forgot, and UCI’s Museum Update

During the first half of the 20th century, Margaret, Esther and Helen Bruton, also known as the Bruton Sisters, were major multitalented figures who contributed to the advancement of modern art in California. At the time, the Bruton sisters were very well known and professionally trained artists who were constantly working on art commissions on a small and large scale, even rubbing shoulders with other prolific artists of the time, such as Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. 

Some of the Bruton sisters’ work can be found at UC Irvine’s Jack and Shanaz Langson Institute and Museum of California Art as part of its latest exhibition, “The Bruton Sisters: Modernism in the Making,” curated by Wendy Van Wyck Good, the librarian and archivist for Monterey Peninsula College. The exhibition is free and on view through May 6. 

♦ Music ♦

Triumph Over Adversity Festival Brings Dynamic New Talent to O.C.

The darkest years of the pandemic are behind us, but their memory lingers. The sudden shutdown of public life was one of many upheavals that threatened to tear apart the social fabric. Other issues also took center stage in the form of protests and riots over cruel acts of injustice.

But turbulent times can bring about positive changes. Some arts institutions undertook an honest reappraisal of their purpose and programming choices after the events of 2020-21. Underrepresented artistic voices were finally given the opportunity to be heard more widely, and increased access was given to audiences who customarily never set foot in a theater or concert hall. Technology allowed everyone with a screen and Wi-Fi to participate.

The Philharmonic Society of Orange County went through such a transformation. Formed in 1954, it’s one of Orange County’s oldest arts presenters, regularly bringing in top-name classical musicians and some of the world’s best orchestras. But in 2020, Philharmonic President and Artistic Director Tommy Phillips realized that change was in the air, and his organization needed to respond. The result was the Triumph Over Adversity Festival. This year’s three-event festival takes place on February 21, 23 and 24.

The Great Picture: Making the World’s Largest Photograph

In 2006, a group of photographers converted a warehouse into a giant pinhole camera to create a three-story-tall image of the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station which was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records; now the Great Park hosts an exhibition commemmorating the enormous undertaking of creating it MORE

Kiddle Karoo

This edition of the Children's Concert Series at Soka Performing Arts Center presents the nationally-beloved troupe of rock-and-roll puppet performers MORE

O.C. Lantern Festival

Pacific Symphony and South Coast Chinese Cultural Center present a free, day-long finale to the celebration of the Lunar New Year with a wide variety of performances, activities, and food - advance registration is suggested since attendance is first-come, first-served MORE

Big Lebowski Bowling Bash

Santa Ana's Frida Cinema hosts a special screening of the cult classic comedy with a package including a White Russian and a night of bowling at Round1 Lanes MORE