Each week, Arts Orange County and Culture OC deliver you this look at the stories and events happening in our arts and cultural community.

A Christmas Carol

Orange County's premier production of the Charles Dickens classic continues its run at South Coast Repertory through Dec. 28 MORE

Friends of the Rose Wins a Stay at the Rose Center Theater, For Now

For Broadway star Kyle Selig, the Rose Center Theater wasn’t just one of the earliest venues he performed at. It was also his first employer.

The Huntington Beach native and Academy for the Performing Arts (APA) alum, known for originating the role of Aaron Samuels in “Mean Girls” on Broadway, took on a job working in the box office while in high school. Today, his mom still works there. 

“I ate, slept and breathed theater,” said Selig, who graduated from APA in 2010. “A lot of that is thanks to the Rose Center in many, many different capacities.”

Stephen Davy Finds Harmony With Old World Craft

From the street, passersby would never guess what goes on inside the nondescript building at the top of a stone staircase on South Coast Highway. But within these walls, in a workshop filled with special tools, a bespectacled man continues an Old World craft that only a handful of people are skilled enough to perform.

It took years of apprenticeship-style training for Laguna Beach resident Stephen Davy to become a restorer of violins and other string instruments. It’s a profession he wouldn’t trade for the world – meticulously repairing violins, violas and cellos, some dating back as far as the 1600s, and returning them to their original glory for musicians.

Orange County’s Bold New Art Wave Puts Paint, Resin and Color in Motion

When you sign up for an art class, you expect the usual setup: a blank canvas, some brushes, an array of paints in a rainbow of hues and step-by-step guidance to learn the proper technique. But some of Orange County’s most thrilling classes flip the script, inviting art lovers into a world that embraces experimentation and expression – where imagination overflows in immersive, hands-on sessions that change the way you experience creation.

Each week, we recommend a variety of events and experiences from the listings at SparkOC.com, our free website for Orange County's arts and cultural community.

Solitude and Silence: Conrad Buff, Painter of the American Southwest

Laguna Art Museum presents a new exhibit dedicated to this pivotal figure in the modernist landscape movement, who captured an extraordinary collection of vistas reflecting the diverse landscapes of our corner of America MORE

Holiday Tree Showcase

Included with regular admission to the Nixon Presidential Library in Yorba Linda, this seasonal favorite installation features a dozen themed trees, from the spectacular 18-foot lobby centerpiece to the beloved "Elvis Tree" MORE

Bowers Books for Kids: Holiday Favorites with Bowers Docents

Children can experience the delight of in-person storytelling as beloved classics like The Polar Express and The Gingerbread Man are read aloud by members of the Bowers Museum's team of guides MORE

Rose Tribute Concert: An Evening of Music, Memory, and Community

As the future of Westminster's widely-beloved Rose Center Theater hangs in the balance, past and present performers who have graced its stage gather for a tribute MORE