Dear Evan Hansen – Segerstrom Hall, Segerstrom Center for the Arts
Jan 1–13
The six-time Tony Award-winning Dear Evan Hansen is making a stop at Segerstrom Center. It is the deeply personal and profoundly contemporary musical about life and the way we live it. The New York Times calls it “a gut-punching, breathtaking knockout of a musical,” with NBC News saying it is “an inspiring anthem resonating on Broadway and beyond.” SCFTA.org
Pretend City Pajama Party – Pretend City Children’s Museum, Irvine
Jan 3
Pretend City is throwing a pajama party! Bring your little ones in their favorite jammies for photo ops and fun sleep-time activities, such as Smart Arts: Counting Sheep; Simple Science: Hibernation Station; Good to Go Game: Time for Bed. Fee included with museum admission – wear your pajamas to receive $1 off general admission. 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. PretendCity.org
Driving Miss Daisy – Laguna Playhouse
Jan 9 – 27
Sparks fly in Alfred Uhry’s groundbreaking Pulitzer Prize-winning story about the decades-long relationship between a strong-willed, well-to-do Jewish woman and her black chauffeur in the Jim Crow south. What begins as a troubled and hostile pairing soon blossoms into a profound, life-altering friendship that transcends all societal boundaries. Starring four-time Emmy Award-winner The Walton’s Michael Learned and Lance Nichols (HBO’s Treme). LagunaPlayhouse.org
Southern California Half Marathon & 5K – Woodbridge Village Shopping Center, Irvine
Jan 12
The 28th annual Southern California Half Marathon & 5K will begin at 8 a.m. at the Woodbridge Village Shopping Center on Barranca Parkway and Lake Road in Irvine. The course winds through beautiful neighborhoods and benefits the local Woodbridge High School athletic program, among other local nonprofit organizations. Visit the website to register at SCHalfMarathon.com.
Newport Beach Restaurant Week
Jan 14 -27
Newport Beach Restaurant Week is a 14-day dining event that takes place January 14 -27. The event showcases Newport Beach as Orange County’s premier dining destination offering diners a wide variety of culinary experiences. Participating restaurants offer special prix-fixe menus with lunches available for just $10, $15, $20, or $25, and dinners for $20, $30, $40 or $50. DineNB.com/Restaurant-Week
Popovich Comedy Pet Theater – Irvine Barclay Theatre
Jan 19
Recommended for all ages, the Popovich Comedy Pet Theater on January 19 at 2 p.m. & 7 p.m. will delight the senses. Gregory Popovich (award-winning star of the Moscow Circus and champion juggler) and the extraordinary talents of his performing pets will take your breath away. Finalists on America’s Got Talent, the amazing cast includes housecats, dogs, parrots, and even geese and mice! TheBarclay.org
Young Stars of the Future Concert – Coast Hills Auditorium, Aliso Viejo
Jan 25
South Coast Symphony will be presenting the first prize winners of its Young Stars of the Future Performance Competition at its Young Stars of the Future Concert on Friday, January 25, 7:30 p.m. at Coast Hills Auditorium. The competition is open to vocalists and instrumentalists in the classical, jazz and Broadway categories. Visit SouthCoastSymphony.org for further information and to purchase tickets.
Elvin Bishop & Charlie Musselwhite Duo – Musco Center for the Arts, Chapman University
Jan 27
Two Hall of Fame bluesmen will be coming together, which promises to be a tour de force when these two join forces. Evin Richard Bishop is an American blues and rock music singer, guitarist, bandleader and songwriter, while Charles Douglas “Charlie” Musselwhite is an American electric blues harmonica player and bandleader. It promises to be a memorable front-porch session. MuscoCenter.org
Scheherazade – Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall
31 – Feb. 2
The Pacific Symphony, with Carl St.Clair conducting, presents celebrated cellist Leonard Elschenbroich in a program featuring Scheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov, and two works known for their amazing cello work – Bernstein’s Slava! And Shostakovisch’s high voltage Cello Concerto No. 1 – both written for legendary cellist Mstislav Rostropovich. The Pacific Symphony is celebrating its 40th anniversary season. PacificSymphony.org