WICKED INTRODUCES D-SCRIPTIVE,

I-CAPTION AND SHOWTRANS

State-of-the-art customer services provide scene-by-scene information for hearing and sight challenged and multi-lingual commentary for non-English speaking audiences

Now available for all performances at Pantages Theatre

The Los Angeles company of WICKED is now offering D-Scriptive, I-Caption and ShowTrans, new state-of-the-art customer services that provides scene-by-scene dialogue and commentary of the production for hearing challenged patrons (I-Caption), sight challenged patrons (D-Scriptive) and translations for non-English speakers (ShowTrans) in Spanish, Japanese, French, German and Portuguese. D-Scriptive, I-Caption and ShowTrans are now available at all performances of WICKED at the Pantages Theatre.

More than a word-for-word translation, these three services give patrons the actual dialogue, as well as continual plot and descriptive information that enables them to follow the action, intention, humor and emotion of the show.

D-Scriptive, I-Caption and ShowTrans are available in the theatre lobby prior to all performances. These services can also be reserved in advance by calling the toll-free reservation line (888) 876-0801. ShowTrans multi-language commentary may be rented for $10 per ear receiver; the two other services –

D-Scriptive and I-Caption -- are offered for the hearing and sight challenged at no charge to the patron.

These new programs are created and serviced by Sound Associates, and sponsored in part by the National Institute for Special Need Audiences, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to using technology to make theatre accessible for those who may otherwise not be able to enjoy it. The proceeds help to fund programs for the blind, the deaf and the hearing impaired.

D-Scriptive, I-Caption and Showtrans were originally introduced in New York, and are currently available at the Broadway productions of WICKED, Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, Rent, Hairspray and Mamma Mia!

The precise timing of the commentary to the action of the show is critical.

D-Scriptive, I-Caption and ShowTrans are integrated into the show’s cueing system so that the commentary keeps pace with the action onstage. Even if there are greatly varying factors in the performance, the system does not miss a beat, and will always find its exact spot in the show.

When using Showtrans, a signal is transmitted, via either light wave or radio wave, to a multi-channel receiver that has been tuned to the desired language. The theatre patron wears a tiny earphone in one ear through which they can hear the commentary throughout the show.

D-Scriptive is an automated system for the sight-challenged, that works by exactly the same process and is controlled by the same master system. During the show, the blind or sight-impaired audience member hears a detailed description of all the visual aspects of the production, including choreography, lighting, sets and costumes. It too is timed perfectly to the show’s cueing system, and adjusts itself according to any fluctuations in the performance.

I-Caption is a hand-held captioning system for the deaf and severely hearing-impaired theatergoer, and is the newest and latest development offered as part of these special services. Also automated, it receives the signal from the master system and displays verbatim texts of the entire show, including lyrics, announcements and show information.

The captioning device, approximately the size of a small PDA, can either be held by the patron, or placed in a specially fitted receptacle on the seat-back in front of them, specifically tailored to each theater. The incredibly sharp screen is not visible to anyone not directly in front of the device, so as to avoid any distraction to neighbors. Even though the text keeps pace with the show, the user can scroll backwards at any time, to review previously displayed information.

About D-Scriptive, I-Caption and ShowTrans and Sound Associates, Inc.

Sound Associates, Inc. has been at the forefront in the development of assistive devices and services since 1979, when it introduced the Infrared Listening System for the hearing impaired. This system enabled the hard of hearing to attend and enjoy a show in a way not previously possible.

In 1981, its designer, Richard Fitzgerald, CEO of Sound Associates, was the recipient of a Tony Award in special recognition of this groundbreaking innovation, which has now become the standard on Broadway and throughout the world. "Using assistive technology, our goal is to make every performance available to all theatre lovers," says Fitzgerald.

Anne Tramon, who spearheaded the Infrared Division of Sound Associates, has since helped to form The National Institute For Special Need Audiences with the goal of evolving and expanding the Infrared Listening System to include many other applications, making theatre available to many new audiences.

A non-profit organization, NISNA is combining theatrical tradition with the latest in assistive technology from Sound Associates, to help diversify the audience for live theatre in the 21^st Century. NISNA funds the development of state-of-the-art communication tools for such special theatergoers as the blind, deaf, non-English speaking, and the senior citizen.

Carl Tramon, Director of Special Services for Sound Associates on Broadway, said, “Every time I see the emotional reaction of someone benefiting from one of our services, it makes me realize how much we take for granted, and how important it is that we persist in the development and application of such services. As we evolve, technology expands our potential. The services are like having a friend next to you whispering in your ear, and giving you what you need; except now the friend is freed up to watch and enjoy the show with you.”

The ADA has mandated comprehensive changes to accessibility requirements in all theatres. NISNA is not only fulfilling these requirements, but have taken it to the next level. Very soon, these services will be the standard in all Broadway houses as an irreplaceable aid for those who require it.

About WICKED in Los Angeles
The record-breaking Los Angeles company of WICKED is now performing at the Pantages Theatre, 6233 Hollywood Blvd.

Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, WICKED has music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. The musical is directed by Joe Mantello, with musical staging by Wayne Cilento. The Grammy Award-winning original cast recording of WICKED, produced by Stephen Schwartz for Decca Broadway, has been one of the fastest selling Broadway recordings of recent years and has been certified ‘Platinum’ by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Winner of 15 major awards including the Grammy Award and three Tony Awards, WICKED is the untold story of the witches of Oz. Long before Dorothy drops in, two other girls meet in the land of Oz. One, born with emerald-green skin, is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. WICKED tells the story of their remarkable odyssey, how these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch.

Tickets for WICKED are on sale at www.ticketmaster.com or www.BroadwayLA.org, by phone at 213-365-3500 or 714-740-7878, in person at the Pantages Theatre Box Office, 6233 Hollywood Blvd., or at any Ticketmaster outlet. Groups of fifteen (15) or more can call 866-755-3075 or online at www.nedgroups.com.

For more information, visit www.wickedthemusical.com.

# # #

Wadsworth Theatre RICHMARK Entertainment
REEL TALK with Stephen Farber
12 memorable evenings of exciting new films and conversations
12 Mondays at 7:00pm,
September 17 - December 10, 2007 (no Reel Talk Monday, November 19)

Stephen Farber, one of the country's leading film critics and historians, will continue his film series Reel Talk with Stephen Farber at the Wadsworth Theatre for 12 Monday nights beginning September 17th. Reel Talk with Stephen Farber is presented in partnership with RICHMARK Entertainment and Landmark Theatres.

Oct 15: RESERVATION ROAD is a powerful drama about two families whose lives are intertwined as a result of a hit-and-run accident. The stars are Mark Ruffalo, Joaquin Phoenix, and two Academy Award-winning actresses, Jennifer Connelly and Mira Sorvino. It is directed by Terry George ("Hotel Rwanda"). The guest speaker will be novelist and screenwriter John Burnham Schwartz.

Oct 22: THE KITE RUNNER, based on the international best-selling novel about a family in Afghanistan from the time of the Soviet invasion to the rise of the Taliban. Guest speakers will include producers Rebecca Yeldham and William Horberg and the film's star, Shaun Toub.

Oct 29: DAN IN REAL LIFE, a romantic comedy starring Steve Carell and Juliette Binoche. Guest speaker is screenwriter Pierce Gardner.

Nov 5: THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY. Artist and filmmaker Julian Schnabel won the best director award at this year's Cannes Film Festival for this remarkable film inspired by the true-life story of French magazine editor Jean-Dominique Bauby and his triumph over a debilitating stroke. Filmed with an innovative subjective camera technique, the film features an international cast headed by Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner, Marie-Josee Croze, and Max Von Sydow. The guest speaker will be two-time Academy Award-winning cinematographer Janusz Kaminski (Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan).

More speakers may be added. More titles coming soon. Films and speakers subject to change.

New World Flamenco Festival

La Flor de la Vida – The Prime of Life

August 10-19, 2007

Three U.S. premieres

De Grana y Oro – Aug 10-12

A Fuego Lento – Aug 14-15

Las Cosas de Caí – Aug 17-19

The New World Flamenco Festival is pleased to announce three U.S. premieres for the 2007 edition of the festival that will take place at Irvine Barclay Theatre August 10-19, 2007.

The New World Flamenco Festival has fostered a trend that is being noticed around the world – flamenco has a stylistic variety and point of view as rich as anything found in contemporary dance. One of the hallmarks of this festival is its ability to convince established flamenco artists, stars of their generation, to create or bring new and exciting works to premiere at the festival.

Past festivals have paid homage to mainstream trendsetters, leaders, and quite simply, great flamenco artists. It is therefore natural that the 2007 edition devotes an entire festival dedicated to the truly promising, young talent on the horizon. This year the festival gives three of Spain’s rising stars the chance to make their mark in the U.S.

More than 6,000 people attend the New World Flamenco Festival every August from all over the Americas and Europe. Café Flamenco takes place on the plaza in front of the theatre before and after every performance. Festival-goers can come early, sample Spanish cuisine and meet new friends. After the performance the artists come and mingle with the festival crowd to the festive sounds of flamenco guitar.

The theme of this year’s festival, La Flor de la Vida [The Prime of Life], certainly describes the explosive talent and vitality of the artists of the 2007 edition. Each of these artists has paid their dues as a principal dancer in major companies; gone on to form highly regarded companies of their own and scored stunning successes in Spain’s major festival – two just this past winter at the Festival de Jerez.

We have also posted video on YouTube -- www.YouTube.com/newworldflamenco

The festival will again include classes and workshops taught by the artists appearing in the festival.

Photo by Dean Thomas

Dance: http://www.thebarclay.org/custom/events/event10.asp?eventID=735
Guitar: http://www.thebarclay.org/custom/events/event10.asp?eventID=734
Cante: http://www.thebarclay.org/custom/events/event10.asp?eventID=919

The Esther Wells Collection
1390 South Coast Highway
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
(949) 494-2497
www.estherwellscollection.com

Presents

"The Evanescent Light”

Cynthia Britain
July 14 - August 14, 2007

Recent painting trips to Hawaii, Point Reyes, Catalina and around our own Orange County are the subjects of this new exhibit of work by Cynthia Britain.

Light and shadow play, atmospheric nuances, shapes and tonal values; all elements that change from place to place and make each unique. These elements are what make up the paintings of Cynthia Britain. Because of the fleeting nature of light, Cynthia has only two hours to capture her subject when she is painting “en plein aire”.

She has searched and found the pockets of Old Orange County that still exist. The orange groves and old structures of a more rural time, when things were a bit slower and simpler. Sunlight filtering through the eucalyptus and orange trees, an old, clapboard home or a peaked roofed, red barn reminiscent of days gone by.

In scenes of Catalina and Hawaii she shows the lushness of the island settings with the ocean as a backdrop. The feel of the atmospheric mood of the island climate along with the calmer pace of life can be felt.

The verdant, rolling hills, opens space and coastal scenes are the focus of her Point Reyes works. Scenes of a quieter, and serene place.

Cynthia, one of the five signature members who co-founded the Laguna Plein-Air Painters Association (LPAPA), is also a member of the California Art Club, and the Oil Painters of America. She has participated in numerous juried exhibitions and received many awards. Her studies with Ted Goerschner, Kevin MacPherson and Kim English, along with a foundation of a Fine Arts major at Fullerton College, and course study at UCLA and Putney College of Art in England make up her arts education.

The Esther Wells Collection, in Laguna Beach, has long been known as an established fine arts gallery representing a number of the country’s leading artists. Also recognized as a source for original sculpture works in bronze, stone, and terra cotta. The gallery is a First Thursdays Art Walk participant. Gallery hours are 10-ish a.m. to 4:30 p. m. daily.

MAMMA MIA!

RETURNS TO THE CENTER

August 7-19 in Segerstrom Hall

Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus’ MAMMA MIA!, the smash hit musical based on the songs of ABBA, returns to Segerstrom Hall at the Orange County Performing Arts Center August 7 to 19. MAMMA MIA! is part of The Center’s popular Curtain Call Series.

Inspired by the story-telling magic of ABBA’s timeless songs, writer Catherine Johnson’s sunny, funny tale of family and friendship unfolds on a Greek island. On the eve of her wedding, a daughter’s quest to discover the identity of her father brings three men from her mother’s past back to the island they last visited 20 years ago. Songs including “Dancing Queen,” “The Winner Takes It All,” “Money, Money, Money” and “Take A Chance on Me” are all featured in this feel-good night of fun and laughter.

With more productions playing simultaneously around the world than any other new musical, MAMMA MIA! is now the world’s # 1 show. There are currently twelve productions of MAMMA MIA! running concurrently around the world (ten permanent productions and two tours). With a worldwide gross of over $2 billion dollars and audiences of more than 30 million people, MAMMA MIA! is acclaimed by the Associated Press as “quite simply, a phenomenon.”

The original cast recording of MAMMA MIA! is available on Decca Broadway.

For information about MAMMA MIA! around the world, go to www.mamma-mia.com

ORANGE COUNTY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

The Center is committed to supporting artistic excellence on all of its stages and engaging the entire community in new and exciting ways through an array of inspiring programs.

The Orange County Performing Arts Center opened in 1986 with its 3,000-seat Segerstrom Hall and intimate 250-seat Founders Hall. In 2006, The Center expanded its venues to include the 2,000-seat Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall and 500-seat multi-functional Samueli Theater. The Center’s new facility, which also includes a studio theater and education lab, joins with the adjacent Tony® Award-winning South Coast Repertory and a site for a future visual arts complex to create Segerstrom Center for the Arts. A 46,000-square-foot outdoor community plaza unites all of the venues to create one of the largest performing arts campuses in the United States.

The Orange County Performing Arts Center presents a broad range of programming each season, including international ballet and dance, national tours of top Broadway shows, intimate performances of jazz and cabaret, classical music performed by renowned chamber orchestras and ensembles, family-friendly programming and many other special events.

The Center offers many programs designed to inspire young people through the arts. These programs reach more than 500,000 students of all ages with vital arts-in-education programs, enhancing their studies and enriching their lives well into the future.

The Center is proud to serve as the artistic home to the region’s major performing arts organizations: Pacific Symphony, the Philharmonic Society of Orange County, Opera Pacific and the Pacific Chorale.

For more information, visit www.ocpac.org.

Tickets to performances at the Orange County Performing Arts Center are
$23 - $73, and are available at The Center’s Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa, by calling (714) 556-2787 or online at www.ocpac.org. For inquiries about group ticket discounts, call The Center’s Group Sales office at (714) 755-0236. The Center’s TTY number is (714) 556-2746.

The Center applauds Mercedes Benz, the official vehicle of The Center, for its support.

MAMMA MIA!

Orange County Performing Arts Center

Segerstrom Hall

August 7-19, 2007

Tuesdays-Fridays at 7:30 p.m.

Saturdays at 2 & 7:30 p.m.

Sundays at 1 and 6:30 p.m.

Theater: Orange County Performing Arts Center – Segerstrom Hall

600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA

Tickets: $23, $28, $42, $48, $63, $68, $73

In Person - The Center Box Office
600 Town Center Drive
Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Open 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. daily

Online - www.ocpac.org

Phone - (714) 556-2787

Open 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. daily

TTY number - (714) 556-2746

Group Sales - (714) 755-0236

Artists, dates and programs are subject to change.

The Orange County Performing Arts Center is a private, non-profit organization. “Orange County Performing Arts Center” is a California registered trademark.

“I am the voice of a free and borderless generation.”

– Hafez Nazeri

World Premiere of

Rumi Symphony Project Cycle Number One

Celebrating 800 years of the poet Rumi

Hafez Nazeri begins his large scale

Rumi Symphony Project

with this concert at Walt Disney Concert Hall

One Performance Only! Friday, August 17, 2007 at 8 p.m.

Nine piece ensemble of Iranian and Western classical performers,

includes Shahram Nazeri, the internationally acclaimed Iranian vocalist

This concert presented by Rumi Symphony Project and National Geographic Live!

Persian musician Hafez Nazeri leads a performance of his large scale Rumi Symphony Project with the world premiere of the project’s Cycle Number One at a single performance at Walt Disney Concert Hall of the Music Center of Los Angeles County, on Friday, August 17 at 8 p.m.

Hafez Nazeri’s original compositions will be performed by a nine piece ensemble featuring both Persian performers and members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, including Hafez’ father, Shahram Nazeri, the internationally acclaimed vocalist from Iran. The second part of the concert features all new compositions that have never been performed before.

The concert celebrates the 800^th anniversary of Rumi, the most popular Sufi poet in history. The poet’s works have influenced both the Nazeris’ musical lives and in return, the Nazeris are credited with bringing the poems to the attention of modern audiences worldwide.

Tickets: $35-150 plus VIP seating. To purchase, Call 213-227-9291. Tickets also available through TicketMaster at ticketmaster.com and by phone, 213-365-6500. For more information, visit http://www.musiccenter.org/wdch/, www.myspace.com/hafeznazeri or www.rumandhumble.com.

This is the first program of the Rumi Symphony Project, which encompasses a large body of both finished and ongoing compositions by Hafez Nazeri – to be performed as concert cycles around the world, all inspired by the work of Rumi. This concert marks the first time a major new work of Persian music has premiered at Walt Disney Concert Hall.

This concert is presented by The Rumi Symphony Project and National Geographic Live!. The concert is generously supported by the Asia Society, the leading global and pan-Asian organization working to prepare Asians and Americans for a shared future. The producers would also like to thank The Festival of Sacred Music for their help with the concert.

A second generation artist, composer Hafez Nazeri is creating a new post-classical genre of music that has an Iranian identity, but adds all of the cultural influences that Nazeri has had through a lifetime of listening and performing music. “Harmony is very important to my music and my music blends traditional Persian music and western classical music, where Persian sounds are produced by the Persian instruments and classical music elements of the work are performed on Western instruments to produce a wholly unique sound, a synthesis that is new and different to both Persian music fans and those accustomed to Western classical music. I try to use my culture’s music, like Bartok did his, to remake what was heard in his era of classical music.”

“My cultural horizons are broad simply by being my father’s son, but I grew up in the Internet world – a world spanning amazing vocabularies of sound, but often with conflicting ethnic and political identities. I have an unstoppable personal quest to quiet the tensions of our times within myself through music. Once you introduce Western ideas of harmony to Persian music, it can expand geometrically to a place where it has never been.”

Classical Western, American Jazz, Indian Ragas, and African rhythms all join Nazeri’s Iranian roots in a music that is as current as the internet, a tool which helps him connect influences that would never have thought to have intersected before.

“I bring all of this to the work to Rumi, that for myself, is the most profound artist who ever lived, whose words and thoughts speak to all of civilization. With Rumi, I am on a journey with my eyes, ears and heart open to incredibly exciting possibilities. I am the voice of a free and borderless generation. I hope my project and the ideas behind it serve to establish a new path for blending the musical visions of the east and west.”

Hafez Nazeri is one of Iran’s most influential and admired young composers. Nazeri is also renowned for his musicianship, both as a vocalist and on a variety of Persian instruments. The New York Times has acclaimed concerts of the younger Nazeri’s work for their "...impassioned singing and meticulous improvisation."

The son of legendary musician Shahram Nazeri, Hafez began voice lessons at the age of three, and went on to win first place in many voice competitions. At seven, he began to focus on his studies of the tanbour and setar, which he had played for several years. He then became intrigued by the daf, a percussion instrument that he had taught himself to play. In the process, he invented a new technique for playing that instrument, which is now emulated by many younger Persian musicians.

By the age of nine, Hafez had already begun to perform alongside his father at many prestigious music festivals in Europe and the Middle East. Hafez has extended the technique of setar-playing and has received praise from musicians and craftsmen alike for this.

At the age of sixteen, he performed, among others, at the Sfinks Festival in Belgium, the Festa del Popolo in Italy, the Théâtre de la Ville in Paris and the Beiteddine Festival in Lebanon among many, many more.

In 2000, Hafez assembled a talented group of young performers to form The Rumi Ensemble. Together they performed Hafez’s original compositions in a series of landmark concerts in twenty Iranian cities. These innovative concerts not only reached younger audiences, they also had an impact on the musical scene in Iran and beyond. With 140,000 in attendance, The Rumi Ensemble’s concerts in Tehran set a record for the entire Middle East.

Selected pieces from that tour have been performed by the Armenian Philharmonic Orchestra at Royal Albert Hall in London, and at music festivals around the globe, including the Sodra Teatern in Stockholm, the De Bijloke in Ghent, Belgium, as well as at the Fez Festival in Morocco, and the Théâtre de la Ville in Paris. At the age of 20, in search of new artistic ground, Hafez went to New York to study western classical music. In 2005, he graduated with a Diploma in Composition and Conducting from the Mannes College of Music.

Later that year, Hafez, along with new members of The Rumi Ensemble launched a highly successful North American tour, performing record-breaking sold-out concerts, to rave reviews. The venues included Los Angeles’ Kodak Theater (in December 2005 - the most highly attended Persian classical music concert outside of Iran), Atlanta Symphony Hall and the tour also traveled to San Francisco, Washington D.C., and Boston.

Hafez’ has been interviewed by various media outlets, including the radio stations KPBS, KPFK, KPFA, UC Berkeley Radio and on NPR. He has been seen on CNN, BBC World Service, BBC’s The Ticket with Mark Coles, Fox News, and ABC News.

He received a UCLA creativity award for most distinguished young composer. The United Nations recognized Hafez’s contributions and his innovation in undertaking the “In the Path of Rumi” tour. He received recognition from The Congress of the United States and was invited to lecture at both Emory University and Harvard University, where he was recognized for his pioneering efforts and innovation in Persian music.

Shahram Nazeri is an icon of Persian classical and Sufi music.

He was the first vocalist to set Rumi’s Divan-e Shams to Persian music thirty-five years ago, thus establishing a new tradition of Sufi music within both Persian classical music and Kurdish music. His music was groundbreaking, introducing Western musical audiences to both Sufism and to the poetry of Rumi. The New York Times has dubbed him the “Persian Nightingale” and the Christian Science Monitor has called him “Iran’s Pavarotti”.

He has performed at major venues worldwide, including The Festival of Aix-en-Provence, The festival of Avignon, Theâtre de la Ville in Paris, The Tokyo

Summer festival, The Kodak Theatre (Oscar ceremony) in Los Angeles, and the Royal Albert Hall, the Festa del Popolo in Italy, The Beiteddine Festival in Lebanon,

the Kölner Philharmonie in Germany, Asia Society in New York, World Music Instituted and the Roma Europa Festival in Rome and Fes Festival of World Sacred Music in Morocco and many others.

Master Nazeri has released over forty recordings to date. His “Gol’eh Sad Barg,” has held the record for the highest selling album of Persian classical music and Sufi music in history.

His mother first nurtured Nazeri’s musical talents at a very young age. Throughout his childhood, he was under the tutelage of the most renowned masters of Persian music, including Abdollah Davami, Nourali Boroumand, and Mahmood Karimi. At eleven, he performed on television for the first time. By twenty-nine, he had gained a loyal fan base. He has continued to perform in Iran and abroad over the course of the last two decades.

From early on, Master Nazeri sang and composed music to the works of Mawlana Jalal ad-Din Rumi, Iran’s most cherished Sufi poet. Nazeri also pioneered the use of contemporary Persian poetry in the classical repertoire.

His progressive approach to music has led him to collaborate on new projects with his son, Hafez Nazeri. In 2000, they performed Hafez’s new composition in Iran. In 2005, Nazeri performed along with his son’s Rumi Ensemble on a highly successful North American tour of record-breaking, sold-out concerts, to rave reviews. The tour venues included Los Angeles’ Kodak Theater – the concert there was the most highly attended Persian classical music concert outside of Iran. Nazeri’s performances have garnered critical acclaim worldwide and won him awards at music festivals around the world. In 1975, he won First Prize at the Concours de Musique Traditionelle, the first competition to showcase Iran’s great performers.

The Ministry of Culture in Iran named him the Best Singer of Classical Persian and Sufi Music. The United Nations has honored Nazeri with a recognition award for his legendary contribution to the revival of Kurdish and Iranian Classical Music. Shahram Nazeri also received a recognition award from the Congress of the United States and was invited to lecture at Harvard University where he was recognized for his pioneering efforts in introducing Rumi to the West as well as for his innovations in Persian music. UCLA has honored Shahram Nazeri with the Living Legend Award. He has been featured on NPR, BBC, Fox News and ABC NEWS.

http://www.musiccenter.org/wdch/, www.myspace.com/hafeznazeri or http://rumandhumble.com

A ‘FREE FOR ALL’ STARTS THIS SUMMER
AT THE ORANGE COUNTY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

NEW SERIES BRINGS FREE MUSIC, DANCE,

The Orange County Performing Arts Center is launching a new series - FREE FOR ALL. Now audiences will have opportunities to experience The Center and exciting entertainment in new and intriguing ways – and all totally FREE.

Free for All shows and events have been designed to appeal to audiences of all ages as they enliven The Center’s venues and public spaces, including the beautiful 46,000-square-foot Community Plaza.

Center President Terrence W. Dwyer said, “Everyone was so thrilled with the enthusiastic response to our Merce Cunningham Dance Company engagement in May, which engaged the audience in a truly unique and interactive way and really signaled the type of events we want as a regular part of The Center’s programming. Free for All is another step in that direction. This is only a beginning, and we look forward to expanding these offering over the coming months. One of The Center’s key goals has always been to offer the work of the most exciting artists in our performance venues. Now, we want to throw our doors open and bring that same creative energy outside onto our community plaza and other performance sites. We want to become, in effect, a performing arts center without walls, truly accessible and welcoming to everyone in our community.”