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Segerstrom Center For The Arts Announces Dance, Headliner And Inconversation Series For The 2023-2024 Season

Arts and Entertainment

May 23, 2023

From: Segerstrom Center for the Arts

Dance Series

Complexions Contemporary Ballet | Turn It Out with Tiler Peck | American Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker | Alonzo King LINES Ballet | Les Ballets de Monte Carlo’s Coppél-i.A | American Ballet Theatre Mixed Repertory 

Headliners Series

Get Happy: Jessica Vosk | Mandy Patinkin in Concert: Being Alive | A Broadway Birthday! Sondheim, Lloyd Webber and Friends  

In Conversation Series

Tara Westover | Amor Towles

 Kristin Hannah | Michael Pollan 

New subscriptions on sale at scfta.org  

Segerstrom Center for the Arts is thrilled to present an exceptional lineup of breathtaking dance performances, captivating headliner shows, and engaging in conversation series that will leave audiences inspired and mesmerized. Back by popular demand, these series genres will be available on a season ticket basis. With both returning and new performances, these upcoming engagements are poised to deliver an unforgettable experience for audiences of all ages.

The Dance series kicks off with Complexions Contemporary Ballet, known for their groundbreaking choreography, pushing the boundaries of traditional dance forms and creating a mesmerizing experience for all. Turn It Out with Tiler Peck will present who Vanity Fair calls “The most magical dancer of our time”The principal dancer with New York City Ballet will dazzle audiences with her dynamic artistry and impeccable technique that has garnered her international acclaim. American Ballet Theatre will present the beloved holiday classic The Nutcracker with their enchanting production that transport viewers to a world of magic and wonder through its exquisite choreography, lavish sets, and Tchaikovsky's timeless score. Alonzo King LINES Ballet returns with their renowned company that is sure captivate audiences, taking them on a profound and transformative journey. Led by artistic director Jean-Christophe Maillot, Les Ballets de Monte Carlo’s Coppél-i.A will present this romantic piece with their unique blend of classical and contemporary ballet. American Ballet Theatre's Mixed Repertory will feature an eclectic program highlighting the company's extraordinary versatility and artistry. This showcase is a testament to the immense talent and creativity of American Ballet Theatre's dancers and choreographers.

Additionally, Segerstrom Center is proud to present a fun lineup of headliners who will take the stage throughout the season. The 2023-2024 headliner series will commemorate the life and legacy of some of Broadway’s most iconic legends including Judy Garland in Get Happy: Jessica Vosk. Known for her powerful vocals and captivating stage presence, Jessica Vosk will take the stage to honor Garland's timeless repertoire. Join us for a joyous celebration of two musical theater maestros, Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber in A Broadway Birthday! Sondheim, Lloyd Webber and Friends. This star-studded production will showcase a dazzling array of performances, featuring beloved songs from their iconic shows. From "Phantom of the Opera" to "Sweeney Todd," and "Cats" to "Into the Woods," this spectacular event will transport audiences into the heart of Broadway, highlighting the remarkable contributions of these legendary composers and their influential works. From Tony Award-winning songs to cherished classics, and even some of his own remarkable recordings, Mandy Patinkin in Concert: BEING ALIVE promises an intimate and captivating experience, offering a glimpse into the soul of the Broadway icon.

Our In Conversation series returns this season, offering a unique opportunity to engage in captivating discussions with esteemed authors, delving into their literary journeys, creative processes, and the power of storytelling. Join Tara Westover, author of the critically acclaimed memoir "Educated," as she shares her inspiring story of self-discovery, the transformative power of education, and the resilience of the human spirit. Known for his masterful storytelling and richly developed characters, Amor Towles will take the audience on a literary journey through his captivating narratives and explore the themes of love, friendship, and the complexities of human relationships. Kristin Hannah, beloved author of compelling novels such as "Firefly Lane" and "The Great Alone," will be welcomed back to her home of Orange County to share her insights into her powerful storytelling and her ability to create immersive and emotionally resonant worlds. Michael Pollan, renowned author of bestsellers like "The Omnivore's Dilemma" and "In Defense of Food," will conclude the series with his fascinating exploration of food, nature, and the human connection to the natural world.

Subscriptions for the Dance, Headliner and In Conversation Series are available now. Tickets for individual performances will go on sale at a later date. Visit the Center’s Website www.SCFTA.org for more information. For group sales call (714) 755-0236. 

Dance Series Lineup

Complexions Contemporary Ballet | September 16, 2023

Complexions was founded in 1994 by Master Choreographer Dwight Rhoden (Chapman artistic professor of dance) and the legendary Desmond Richardson - “two of the greatest virtuosos ever to emerge from Ailey” (New York Times) - with a singular approach to reinventing dance through a groundbreaking mix of methods, styles and cultures. With stunningly gifted dancers and a breathtaking mix of dance styles and athletic intensity, Complexions represents one of the most recognized, diverse, inclusive, and respected performing arts brands in the World.  

The company’s foremost innovation is that dance should be about removing boundaries, not reinforcing them. Whether it be the limiting traditions of a single style, period, venue, or culture, Complexions transcends them all, creating an open, continually evolving form of dance that reflects the movement of our world—and all its constituent cultures—as an interrelated whole.

Having presented an entirely new and exciting vision of human movement on 5-continents, over 20-countries, to over 20-million television viewers and to well over 300,000 people in live audiences, Complexions is poised to continue its mission to bring unity to the world one dance at a time. 

Turn It Out with Tiler Peck | November 4 & 5, 2023

Award-winning New York City Ballet principal dancer, choreographer, actress, author, curator and designer, Tiler Peck tackles the new role of director for Turn It Out with Tiler Peck & Friends. After its sold-out world premiere in New York, Turn It Out with Tiler Peck & Friends makes its West Coast premiere at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. With her personal touches on every aspect of this unique evening, Peck has assembled some of today’s most exciting dance artists for a virtuosic and innovative program.

Originally conceived for New York City Center’s Artists at the Center series, the program includes four works, each with their own unique style: Thousandth OrangeSwift Arrow, Time Spell, and The Barre Project. This incredible evening of dance begins with Peck’s own Thousandth Orange, set to live music by Pulitzer Prize winner Caroline Shaw. Peck sought out West Coast legend Alonzo King to create the electric pas de deux, Swift Arrow, and joins forces with her long-time collaborator and world class tap dance star Michelle Dorrance alongside Jillian Meyers on Time Spell. The programme closes with The Barre Project, Blake Works II, a piece originally created for film with music by James Blake that marked the first creative partnership between Peck and choreographer William Forsythe.

Expect an exquisitely curated evening of collaborative dance. While different in so many ways, all four pieces share a captivating joyfulness – joy for dance, for music, and for the inspiration that comes from surrounding oneself with creative and inspirational friends. 

American Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker | December 8-17, 2023

SoCal’s favorite holiday tradition returns with American Ballet Theatre’s critically acclaimed production of The Nutcracker. Created by one of today’s most celebrated choreographers, Alexei Ratmansky, this dazzling holiday treat features ABT’s roster of superstar dancers along with gorgeous sets and costumes by Tony winner Richard Hudson, and Pacific Symphony playing Tchaikovsky’s timeless score.

The Nutcracker is the tale of a young girl, Clara, who receives the gift of a nutcracker doll at her family’s Christmas party. In her dreams that night, the nutcracker doll comes to life as a handsome prince who joins her on a magical journey. Together, they travel to lands filled with dancing snowflakes, waltzing flowers, a mouse army and other exotic characters, all brought to vivid life on stage by a cast of over 100 performers!

American Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker is one of the great joys of the holiday season. Make a memory with your loved ones! 

Alonzo King LINES Ballet | January 20, 2024

Over the last two seasons, Center audiences have come under the spell of this contemporary dance company from San Francisco. We’ve been mesmerized as their remarkable and exquisite dancers seem to drip across the stage, creating lush, transcendent, and captivating movements that are only possible with LINES. 

Alonzo King LINES Ballet is a celebrated contemporary ballet company that has been guided since 1982 by its uniquely global artistic vision. Collaborating with noted composers, musicians, and visual artists, Alonzo King creates works that draw on a diverse set of deeply rooted cultural traditions and imbue classical ballet with new expressive potential. Alonzo King's visionary choreography is renowned for its ability to connect audiences to a profound sense of shared humanity—of vulnerability and tenderness, but also of furious abandon and exhilarating freedom.

Lauded for creating “the most sophisticated modernism in classical dance” by Los Angeles Times, we anxiously await details on what specific works will be unveiled for this engagement!  But we know already, LINES is always beautiful and glorious on stage, always a must-see performance. 

Les Ballets des Monte Carlo’s Coppél-i.A | March 7-10, 2024

Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo is a classical ballet company established in 1985 by the Princess of Hanover in accordance with the wishes of her mother, Princess Grace, who wished to perpetuate the long tradition of dance in Monaco and its famous Ballets Russes. It is the official national company of the Principality of Monaco.  The appointment of Jean-Christophe Maillot in 1993 brought the company renewal and international renown thanks to his choreographies, acclaimed the world over.

For their triumphant return to Southern California, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo will be performing Coppél-i.A., Jean-Christophe Maillot’s new creation, marking his return to life-size storytelling. The Company’s Choreographer-Director revisits this famous Romantic piece, with an original musical score, exploring the ways in which the development of artificial intelligence is shaping our society today and examining what it means to search for the ideal partner in a technologically advanced society.

Coppél-i.A. projects the audience into a near future in which two young lovers, Frantz and Swanhilda, have their lives upended by an artificial being - shaking their foundations and challenging what they thought they knew of love. Is the ideal partner the flesh-and-blood creature we have always known or the abstract being which questions our position in the human species? By transposing Coppélia into the era of artificial intelligence, Jean-Christophe delivers a stunning new vision of this classic ballet!  

ABT Mixed Repertory | April 11-14, 2024

ABT returns to the Center in a richly varied repertory program showcasing the company’s talent to its fullest through the passion, innovation, and athleticism that the Company is renowned for. 

Headliner Series Lineup

Get Happy: Jessica Vosk | September 29, 2023

Endeavor Content is proud to announce Get Happy: A Judy Garland Centennial Celebration. Breathtaking Broadway talent with full symphony orchestra commemorates Judy Garland’s most precious life moments projected live-to-screen. Broadway star Jessica Vosk brings Garland’s legendary songbook to life, accompanied by rare performance footage, intimate home movies, and cherished photographs and interviews. Experience this showcase in a truly one-of-a-kind concert celebration of the icon’s unrivaled, everlasting legacy.

Jessica Vosk is a celebrated singer and actress known for stirring roles on the musical theater and concert stage. Vosk made her Carnegie Hall debut in November 2021 in a sold-out solo show titled “My Golden Age.” Since that event, she’s toured her concert around the US this, as well as debuted to stunning reviews at London’s Cadogan Hall this July. This year she joined the Atlantic Theatre Company’s production of Sarah Silverman’s The Bedwetter. Other roles include the Narrator in the 50th anniversary of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Lincoln Center, reprising the role this year at the MUNY. She created the role of Aunt Val in the world premiere of Becoming Nancy, directed and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell. Vosk finished an acclaimed run as Elphaba in Wicked on Broadway, having played the role for two years. Vosk starred in New York City Ballet’s Jerome Robbins tribute Something to Dance About, directed by Warren Carlyle, and re-created the role of Fruma Sarah in the most recent Broadway revival of Fiddler on the Roof. Other Broadway credits include Finding Neverland and The Bridges of Madison County. She starred as Anita in West Side Story with the San Francisco Symphony; the recording of the concert was nominated for a Grammy. Her debut, Billboard-charting solo album Wild and Free was released in 2018 and was followed by 2020’s A Very Coco Christmas. Jessica had an unconventional journey to Broadway, starting her career on Wall Street before taking the leap of faith to pursue her dreams. Her story has been profiled on ABC’s “20/20” and on NBC’s “Nightly News with Lester Holt.” 

A Broadway Birthday! Sondheim, Lloyd Webber and Friends | March 2, 2024

This star-studded production will showcase a dazzling array of performances, featuring beloved songs from their iconic shows. From "Phantom of the Opera" to "Sweeney Todd," and "Cats" to "Into the Woods," this spectacular event will transport audiences into the heart of Broadway, highlighting the remarkable contributions of these legendary composers and their influential works. 

Mandy Patinkin in Concert: Being Alive | Thursday November 2, 2023

Mandy Patinkin in Concert: BEING ALIVE presents the acclaimed actor / singer / storyteller in his most electrifying role: concert performer. “Mandy Patinkin is in the business of showstopping,” raves The New Yorker, and that’s exactly what he does in this powerful, passionate evening of song. BEING ALIVE is a marriage of many of Mandy’s favorite Broadway and classic American tunes, along with selections from his newest recordings on Nonesuch Records, Mandy Patinkin Diary January 2018 and Mandy Patinkin Diary April/May 2018. From Randy Newman to Stephen Sondheim, from Harry Chapin to Rufus Wainwright, Mandy Patinkin takes you on a dazzling musical journey you’ll never forget.

Mandy has been fortunate to carve out a varied career including theater, the concert stage, film, television, and as a recording artist. In his 1980 Broadway debut, Mandy won a Tony Award for his role as Che in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita and was nominated in 1984 for his starring role as George in the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical, Sunday in the Park with George.  Mandy’s other stage credits include: CompulsionParadise FoundThe TempestEnemy of the PeopleThe Wild Party, Falsettos, The Secret Garden, The Winter's Tale, The Knife, Leave It to Beaver is Dead, Rebel Women, Hamlet, Trelawney of the ‘Wells,’ The Shadow Box, The SplitSavages, and Henry IV, Part I.  

In-Conversation Series Lineup 

Tara Westover | September 20, 2023

Tara Westover is an American author. Born in Idaho to a father opposed to public education, she never attended school. An older brother taught her to read, and after that her education was erratic and haphazard, with most of her days spent working in her father’s junkyard or stewing herbs for her mother. She was seventeen the first time she set foot in a classroom. After that first encounter with education she pursued learning for a decade, graduating magna *** laude from Brigham Young University in 2008 and subsequently winning a Gates Cambridge Scholarship. She received an MPhil from Trinity College, Cambridge in 2009 and in 2014 was awarded a PhD in history. In 2018, she published her memoir, Educated, which explores her struggle to reconcile her desire for education and autonomy with her desire to be loyal to her family. Educated was an instant commercial and critical success, debuting at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and remaining on the list for more than two years. It was also a finalist for a number of national awards, including the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award, and the National Book Critics Circle Award. The New York Times named Educated one of the 10 Best Books of 2018, and the American Booksellers Association voted it the Nonfiction Book of the Year. 

Amor Towles | November 6, 2023

Born and raised in the Boston area, Amor Towles graduated from Yale College and received an MA in English from Stanford University. His thesis at Stanford, a short story cycle called “The Temptations of Pleasure”, was published in 1989 in Paris Review No. 112. His novel, The Lincoln Highway, debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, and was a Today Show Read with Jenna Book Club Pick, one of the New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2021, a Washington Post Best Book of the Year, one of Barack Obama’s favorite books of 2021, was #1 on Amazon’s list of the Best Books of the Year, and was one of Bill Gates’ “5 great books for the summer.” His next book will be a collection of short stories to be published in Spring 2024. Mr. Towles’s first novel, Rules of Civility, which was published in 2011, was a New York Times bestseller and was named by the Wall Street Journal as one of the best books of 2011. The book has been translated into over 15 languages, its French translation receiving the 2012 Prix Fitzgerald. In the fall of 2012, the novel was optioned by Lionsgate to be made into a feature film. Mr. Towles’s second novel, A Gentleman in Moscow, which was published in 2016, has been on the New York Times bestseller list for over 52 weeks in hardcover and was named one of the best books of 2016 by the Chicago Tribune, the Washington Post, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the San Francisco Chronicle, and NPR. The book has been translated into over thirty-five languages including Russian. In the summer of 2017, the novel was optioned by Entertainment One, via Tom Harper’s company Popcorn Storm Pictures to be made into a 6-8 hour miniseries for Paramount+ and Showtime starring Ewan McGregor. He is also the author of the ebook You Have Arrived at Your Destination, part of Amazon’s Forward collection. 

Kristin Hannah | February 5, 2023

American writer from Orange County, Garden Grove will share her insights into her powerful storytelling and her ability to create immersive and emotionally resonant worlds. She is a beloved author of compelling novels such as Winter Garden, The Nightingale, Firefly Lane, The Great Alone, and The Four Winds. 

Michael Pollan | April 29, 2024

For more than thirty years, Michael Pollan has been writing books and articles about the places where the human and natural worlds intersect: on our plates, in our farms and gardens, and in our minds. Pollan is the author of nine books, seven of which have been New York Times bestsellers; four of them (including his latest, This is Your Mind on Plants) were immediate #1 New York Times bestsellers. Previous books include How to Change Your Mind (2019), Cooked (2013), Food Rules (2009), In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto (2008) and The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals (2006), which was named one of the ten best books of 2006 by both the New York Times and the Washington Post. It also won the California Book Award, the Northern California Book Award, the James Beard Award for best food writing, and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. A revised, young readers’ edition of The Omnivore’s Dilemma was published in 2015.  Pollan's 2001 book, The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s-Eye View of the World, also a New York Times bestseller was recognized as a best book of the year by the American Booksellers Association and Amazon.com. Pollan is also the author of A Place of My Own (1997) and Second Nature (1991). An expanded edition of Food Rules, with original illustrations by Maira Kalman, was published in 2011. How to Change Your Mind was named one of the New York Times' 10 Best Books of 2018, and in 2022 was adapted into a critically successful four-part docuseries for Netflix. In 2020 he published a new audio book titled Caffeine, available from Audible. His most recent book, This is Your Mind on Plants, an exploration into the powerful human attraction to psychoactive plants and the taboos we place on them, was a New York Times bestseller and one of the Washington Post's 50 Notable Works of Nonfiction of 2021.

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
SymphonyPhilharmonic Society of Orange County and Pacific Chorale as well as two independently acclaimed organizations: Tony Award®-winning South Coast Repertory and 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 and recognizes Orange Coast Magazine as a media partner for the 2023 -2024 Headliners series and Modern Luxury Riviera for the Dance series.   

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.