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

Our Town

Newport Theatre Arts Center presents Thornton Wilder's legendary play wherein the residents of an ordinary American community share glimpses at their routines, hopes, and dreams, becoming a transcendent meditation on the impact we leave behind MORE

Choral Arts Initiative Explores Exile, Nature and Healing with 'Transformation'

Newport Beach's Choral Arts Initiative nears its season’s end on Sunday with its performance of ‘Transformation,’ featuring Gabriel Jackson’s ‘Exile Meditations’ and Anne Dudley’s ‘One Touch of Nature.’

'The Chinese Lady' at Chance Theater Explores Immigration, Division and American Dreams

Michelle Krusiec didn’t want to play somebody fresh off the boat, but “The Chinese Lady” changed her mind.

The veteran Taiwanese American actress, who has played dozens of roles onscreen and onstage for more than three decades, is the title character, Afong Moy, in “The Chinese Lady.” Based on a true story, the play by Lloyd Suh will run at Chance Theater in Anaheim Hills, May 24-June 8, with previews beginning May 16.

“At first, I didn’t really take it in,” Krusiec said from her Echo Park home via Zoom rec

Eight Hidden Gems for Orange County Arts Lovers

Institutions like the Orange County Museum of Art, Laguna Art Museum, Segerstrom Center for the Arts and Bowers Museum are pillars Orange County’s arts scene. Paired with galleries galore, exhibitions at local cultural centers and iconic events ranging from Pageant of the Masters, the OC Fair and the Laguna Plein Air Painting Invitational to Laguna Beach’s renowned summer art festivals, you’ve got the recipe for an immersive experience that draws in visual and performing arts enthusiasts from all over the world.

But the region is also home to several hidden gems. Whether you’re looking for paintings, dance, cinema, photography or music, these local destinations showcase unique displays of creativity, storytelling and technique, giving us the chance to support under-recognized artists and venues simply hoping to add some beauty to the world.

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.

Iconic 2: The Men!

MenAlive!, Orange County's beloved gay men's chorus, takes the Irvine Barclay Theatre stage with this concert celebrating legendary rock singers like Elton John, Freddie Mercury, and Prince MORE

3rd Thursdays Corona del Mar

A new monthly evening of arts & culture in the Corona Del Mar neighborhood promises live music, evening gallery experiences, games and giveways, and more MORE

Princess & Superhero Fun Day

Southland Ballet Academy annually invites kids to come to Fountain Valley's Festival Ballet Theatre dressed as their favorite Princess or Superhero, take on creative craft projects, and learn some dance moves MORE

Universal Monster 4 Film Marathon

See the imaginative possibilities of dance created for a small stage in this concert choreographed and performed by members of Cal State Fullerton's dance program MORE