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Los Angeles Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
‘Life of Pi' roars to life at Segerstrom
When Richard Parker slinks into the room, it is difficult not to catch your breath. The Royal Bengal tiger puppet is the star of the stage production of 'Life of Pi' and the puppeteers who operate him — Aaron Haskell, Anna Vomacka and Anna Leigh Gortner — have mastered the feline form. They move the 35-pound puppet with realistic movements and sounds that mimic a real tiger, making you wonder how safe you are when he breathes into your lap. 'We really try not to Disney-fy the animals,' said Taha Mandviwala, who plays the role of Pi in the production. 'We want to give them the physics that animals have, that sense of ferocity, that sense of weight, the sense that this thing has the capacity to kill at any moment.' Showing at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa now through June 15, 'Life of Pi' is based on the 2001 novel by Yann Martel of the same name, adapted for the stage by Lolita Chakrabarti. The story follows 16-year-old Pi who gets shipwrecked in the middle of the Pacific Ocean when the boat carrying his family and the animals in their zoo from India to Canada sinks. Stuck on a lifeboat for 227 days, he is joined by a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan and a tiger named Richard Parker. The animals play key roles in the storytelling and besides Richard Parker, the touring cast and creative team brings an entire zoo to life using the captivating puppets. Following the opening night of the production on June 3, Segerstrom hosted a demonstration of the tiger puppet the next day at the Judy Morr Theater where the famous kitty purred and chuffed at a nervous crowd. Movement director and puppeteer Betsy Rosen and John Hoche, associate puppetry & movement director for 'Life of Pi' U.S., joined Haskell, Vomacka and Gortner for the demo along with Mandviwala. The production is a decorated one, with three Tony Awards, the Olivier Award for Best Play and Hoche noted, the 2022 Best Supporting Actor award for a group of puppeteers' portrayal of Richard Parker. 'That means not only was a tiger nominated for an award, but a puppet was also nominated for this award and the team of puppeteers that brought Richard Parker to life were all nominated,' said Hoche. 'The incredible thing is they won, so that is a huge step forward for understanding and appreciating the art form of puppetry.' Operating the tiger puppet is a task that requires skill and finesse from three players, who each operate the head, the heart and hind quarters of the animal. Haskell, Vomacka and Gortner operate the tiger during about three of the eight weekly shows, since the role is quite physically demanding. The head puppeteer operates the head and cage of the animal, or the ribs, via a handle on the spine. 'Their primary objective is to keep the head active, there are ear triggers and a jaw trigger there,' said Rosen. The heart puppeteer manipulates the front paws of the tiger and creates breath within the tiger while the hind puppeteer operates the back paws and tail, maintaining the gait and walk of the tiger and using the tail to express emotion. 'I find a lot of personality in the tail,' said Gortner. 'Just like any animal, when Richard Parker is scared, his tail will tuck. If he is feeling aggressive or angry, it will lift. If he is hungry, it might wag a bit.' Sounds the tiger makes also signal emotion. 'All three puppeteers are mic'd live which means we are making all of the sounds live, and that goes for all of the puppets in the show,' said Rosen. Mandviwala said acting with a puppet has two sides to it. 'One side is very technical and one side is artistic. On an artistic level, you are acting alongside a puppet, you really need to treat it completely in the same way you would treat working with another actor,' said Mandviwala. 'On a technical level of acting with it, you also have to keep a lookout for your fellow coworkers, the puppeteers in the boat.' While Mandviwala and the other actors are very aware of the puppeteers, the audience is less so, especially as the story goes on. It seems we notice them less and less as our imaginations take us through the story. The amount of emotion Haskell, Vomacka and Gortner evoke from the audience with a puppet is incredible. As a viewer, you are aware you are not really seeing a goat get eaten by a tiger for example, yet the crowd gasps and grimaces as if they are. 'A teacher told me once that the audience, just like you, came here with your imagination open,' said Haskell. 'You wanted to see something good and see something come to life and so a lot of that is on us to make sure you stay in that imagination. You want to believe, we allow you to believe and we make you continue to believe.' Rosen said the team achieves this partly by hiding in plain sight. 'We are not trying to disappear completely, we are not dressed in all black,' said Rosen. 'I think there is this mentality and physicality of serving this greater overall character, that we are all doing at the same time and we recede into the background, in service of bringing this other character to life.' Haskell said three puppeteers all pay attention to each other, while also all jointly focusing on the tiger's view point, which helps them become the puppet. 'One of the major ways we do that is our focus into the puppet. We use a lot of our peripheral vision because we want you to see our focus is on the head, which psychologically somehow really does make the audience also go there with you,' said Haskell. Vomacka and Gortner both said maintaining healthy habits and exercise routines, like yoga and gymnastics, help them keep up with the physically demanding work of crouching inside the puppet for a two-hour show. 'Humans are incredible,' said Vomacka. 'You put a challenge in front of us, we train for it and we acclimate.' Hoche said that while the show's puppeteers demonstrate great skill and talent, their passion is one born from storytelling play, something everyone in the audience can relate to. 'Everyone at some point in your life has played with a doll or played with an action figure or made a stick come to life,' said Hoche. 'Everyone is a puppeteer.' 'Life of Pi' is showing now at Segerstrom Center for the Arts at 600 Town Center Dr, Costa Mesa through June 15. Tickets, which start at $44.07, are available at
Los Angeles Times
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Audience raps with ‘Hamilton' cast at Segerstrom
As 'Hamilton' returns to Segerstrom Center for the Arts, audience members at a recent performance got a special opportunity to be in the room where the show happens. Patrons had the chance to talk with cast and company members of the U.S. 'Philip tour' in a post-show Q&A segment on April 24. Running now through May 4, the hit Broadway show with book, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, tells the story of founding father, Alexander Hamilton on the dawn of a new nation. The musical has enjoyed wild success since it premiered off-Broadway in 2015. Directed by Thomas Kail with choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler and musical supervision and orchestrations from Alex Lacamoire, 'Hamilton' has earned 11 Tony Awards, plus a Grammy Award, Olivier Awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and a special citation from the Kennedy Center Honors. A filmed version of the original Broadway production lives on the streaming platform, Disney+, adding to its accessibility and popularity. During the Q&A, some of the cast members spoke candidly about how they balance playing the well known characters as the audience is familiar with them, while still adding their own personality and flavor. 'They give us the choreo whatever that might be in the studio, but you have a lot of freedom to be able to add your individuality within it,' said Malachi Durant, who is part of the ensemble. 'No company is the same.' Jisel Soleil Ayon, who plays Angelica Schuyler, commented from a principal player perspective. 'We have a lot of things that are prescribed, not because Phillipa Anne Soo or Renée Elise Goldsberry did it, but because that is what Lin wanted, that is what the director wanted,' said Soleil Ayon. 'But then within that, we get to bring ourselves to how we do that thing a little bit while still being in service to the story.' Cast members were also forthcoming about roles they audition for, verses the roles they actually booked. 'I actually auditioned as a dancer and I started in the show as a dancer,' said Kendyl Sayuri Yokoyama, who plays Eliza Hamilton. Sayuri Yokoyama went on to cover all five ensembles and eventually covered all the Schuyler sisters. She auditioned for the role of Angelica and started the tour as Peggy before getting an offer for Eliza. She has been on the show for a little over six years and has the distinction as the only cast member to play every single female track in 'Hamilton.' Jorrel Javier (ensemble, who played Marquis de Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson on April 24) originally auditioned for ensemble and then was called back for Lafayette and Jefferson, but didn't book the role right away. 'It took me six years to book the show,' said Javier. 'They kept calling me back, which is a good thing. It means they like you and they are trying to find a place for you.' Javier admits the rejection wasn't easy but the lesson he takes away from the experience is what is for you, will never miss you. 'Six years, six different characters and here we are,' said Javier. Key elements that set 'Hamilton' apart from other contemporary Broadway musicals is the emphasis on a diverse and inclusive cast, as well as the score that effortlessly blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway. A few of the cast members touched on the importance of representation in musical theater and how musicals from Miranda like 'In the Heights' and other shows have influenced their careers. 'One show that changed my life, was 'In the Heights.' I come from a hip-hop background and I didn't even see my first musical until I was 19, ' said Durant. 'Musical theater was like, ballet and kicks and twirls and I was poppin' and stuff. But when I saw someone do that on stage and they were signing and acting and just killing it, I was like that's for me… that is what set me on the path that I am on.' Josh Marin (ensemble) echoed the notion of feeling seen when he attended a performance of another popular Broadway musical, 'The Lion King.' 'My first true musical experience that revolutionized my brain and the way I became the actor that I am today would be the 'The Lion King,'' said Marin. 'There is so much beauty, depth, life and love that that show creates but also being a person of African American culture, seeing Black people, seeing me up there, seeing people that look like me allowed me to feel like that is something I can do.' More than one question from the audience focused on advice for those aspiring to develop a career in musical theater. Javier had this advice for young performers: 'People are always talking about manifestation, but it is preparation. Manifesting is just preparing as if the opportunity is coming tomorrow,' said Javier. 'So my question to you is this: If the opportunity came tomorrow, would you be prepared?' In other words, don't throw away your shot. The next Q&A will take place on May 1 following the 7:30 p.m. performance. Patrons attending are welcome to come down to the Orchestra level after the show and participate.
Los Angeles Times
18-04-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Heidi Zuckerman to step down from Orange County Museum of Art's exec role
Heidi Zuckerman — who helmed the transition of the Orange County Museum of Art from a regional exhibition space to a capstone institution in Costa Mesa's Segerstrom Center for the Arts — announced this week she will step down as chief executive in December. The Laguna Beach resident plans to focus on HZ Inc., a media platform she created in 2019 and through which she has created 166 installments of the podcast 'About Art,' probing the insight, minds and lives of makers and curators of art. 'I have the highest degree of respect for the institution and am its biggest cheerleader,' Zuckerman said of OCMA in an interview Thursday, adding that she will offer her assistance as the board conducts a search for her successor. 'I am staying in the community and will continue to support museums however I can.' Her decision comes as she nears the end of a five-year contract with the nonprofit organization that, in 2021, brought her to Orange County following an earlier stint as head of the Aspen Art Museum, where she led a similar architectural transformation seven years earlier. Officials broke the news in a release Wednesday, praising Zuckerman as a trailblazer who significantly contributed a 'legacy of institutional growth, impactful exhibitions, free access to art and community engagement that has solidified the museum's position as a premier cultural destination.' 'Her dedication to bringing world-class exhibitions and thought-provoking programming to our community has elevated OCMA to unprecedented heights,' David Emmes II, chair of the museum's board of trustees said. 'Though it is always bittersweet when someone decides to embark on a new chapter, we are excited to witness the great strides Heidi will continue to make in expanding access to the arts.' Since the 53,000-square-foot museum, designed by Morphosis Architects under Pritzker Prize winner Thom Mayne, opened to the public in October 2022, the site has welcomed more than 500,000 visitors and has vowed to offer free admission for its first 10 years there, thanks to a donation from Newport Beach's Lugano Diamonds. Zuckerman, who has long advocated for expanding public access to the arts, says she has been heartened to see the public's embrace of the museum, not only as a place where people can have transformative experiences with art, but as an important community gathering space. 'From the very beginning, I've said everyone is welcome, and I think we've done a great job of making people feel welcome here,' she said, describing the museum as a place where people can draw inspiration, find solace or connect with others. 'This is really one of the few places in contemporary society where people who have different values, different practices and approaches can literally rub shoulders with each other.'
Los Angeles Times
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Orange County's Taste of the Arts, a 6-night series by subscription, will offer dinner and show
Just in time for summer and its 2025-26 season, Segerstrom Center for the Arts will team up with the restaurants surrounding the arts campus to give audiences dinner and a show with a new, six-night subscription show sampler series dubbed Taste of the Arts. The series will offer three- or four-course menus at different Costa Mesa restaurants two hours before the corresponding show at the Segerstrom. The series beings on July 24 with Costa Contemporary Kitchen and the American Ballet Theatre's 'Giselle.' The ballet, often regarded as one of the greatest of all time, is paired with the Peruvian fusion restaurant for a four-course menu with multiple options for each course. Diners can choose from dishes such as fried yuca frita in aji amarillo queso fresco dipping sauce; ceviche mixto made with fresh fish, calamari and shrimp with sweet potato in leche de tigre sauce and traditional Peruvian stir fry. Lomo saltado, featuring filet mignon, cherry tomatoes, red onion and French fries, served with a side of jasmine rice, will be just one of the entrées offered. On Sept. 26, the series pairs Terrace by Mix Mix with Lea Salonga's 'Stage, Screen & Everything In Between' tour. The one-night-only performance brings the Disney icon who voiced the singing voices of Princess Jasmine and Mulan to Costa Mesa. The Filipino actress and singer's appearance is appropriately coupled with chef Ross Pangilinan's South Coast Plaza restaurant that showcases modern Filipino flavors as well as French and Italian influences. Dinner will be served Kamayan-style, a Filipino communal feasting experience with dishes like shrimp lumpia, garlic rice, pork adobo, chicken barbecue skewers and lechon kawaii. For the Nov. 1 performance by Jazz Club Discovery artist, Caity Gyorgy, the nearby Leatherby's Cafe Rouge will offer a three-course menu. Located inside the Renée & Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall and highlighting Southern California cuisine with French flair, the Cafe Rouge spread will include day boat scallops with kabocha squash risotto finished with snap peas and truffle jus, a choice of petite fillet with aligot potatoes in caramelized onion emulsion and cabernet sauce or roasted honey nut squash. Baked ricotta garnished with pomegranate and Marcona almonds and creme fraiche panna cotta will be served up for dessert. Tony-nominated Broadway veteran Tony Yazbeck comes to the Center on Dec. 11 for an evening of classic show tunes, new standards and tap dancing, paired with South Coast Plaza's Populaire Modern Bistro. Chef Nicholas Weber's three-course menu will include updated classic French bistro dishes the hip restaurant is known for. For the first course, diners can select roasted kabocha squash with burette cheese, aged balsamic and pistachio or scallop crudo with koji, pomegranate and puffed farro for crunch. Entrée choices include the very French steak au poivre with potatoes and bone marrow or a vegetable-centric risotto parmigiana reggiano with broccoli sprouts and rainbow chard. Dessert will consist of chocolate cremeux devil's cake. 'The Notebook,' a musical based on the best-selling Nicholas Sparks novel and subsequent film will be paired with the romantic Spanish restaurant, Vaca on Feb. 5, 2026. Just close enough to Valentine's Day, 'Top Chef' alum chef Amar Santana presents a three-course menu of grilled prawns in shellfish curry to start, followed by grilled short rib with potato espuma, maitake mushrooms and truffle jus with Marcona almond tort for dessert. The series ends on April 28, 2026 when the Australian Chamber Orchestra, under the artistic direction of Richard Tognetti, brings orchestral music to Segerstrom Center. The performance is fittingly partnered with Outpost Kitchen, an Aussie eatery from Jay Lewis. The three-course menu will offer dishes like white fish yellow curry, Alaskan salmon, plant-based sausage and sweet potato noodle and Outpost Kitchen's signature key lime pie. The subscription series is on sale now, with tickets priced at $1,350. Visit for show and menu details.
