Photo Coverage: Segerstrom Center for the Arts Previews 2012-13 B'way Season

On August 20, 2012, Segerstrom Center for the Arts (formerly The Orange County Performing Arts Center) in Costa Mesa held a special preview event for invited guests, season subscribers, donors, sponsors, community partners, and the press to highlight its upcoming Broadway Series for the 2012 - 2013 Season. Presented at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, the showcase included live presentations from the national touring companies of MEMPHIS, WICKED and the much-anticipated Brit import WAR HORSE, interspersed with videos from each of the shows coming to Orange County starting in the Fall.

Terrence Dwyer, the Center's President, kicked things off and introduced Bob Bucci, the Executive Vice President of Broadway Across America's marketing department who served as the evening's enthusiastic master-of-ceremonies. Highlights of the evening included incredible live performances from MEMPHIS' Bryan Fenkart and Crystal Joy (both in individual songs and in duet) and Angel Reda who belted "The Wizard and I" from the still oh-so-popular WICKED.

But the evening's rousing eye-opener was the appearance of "Joey," the life-size—and very life-like—puppet star of the Tony-winning play War Horse. Flown in from Capetown, South Africa—where he and his "kin" were handmade by the artisans at the Handspring Puppet Company—a quartet of his "handlers" (puppeteers Tommy Luther, Stuart Angell, and Ian Piears and "Captain" Tim Lewis) demonstrated first-hand the magical properties of the play's technical genius.

At the conclusion of the presentation, the Center's Executive Vice President Judy Morr introduced a fun lip-dub video of the closing Broadway cast of ANYTHING GOES lip-syncing to One Direction's "What Makes You Beautiful" which became a viral sensation over the summer.

For it's upcoming Broadway Series, Segerstrom Center will host touring companies of MEMPHIS (November 6-18), The Addams Family (December 18-30), War Horse (January 22 - February 3, 2013), BILLY ELLIOT (April 16-28, 2013), FLASHDANCE (May 7-19, 2013), and SISTER ACT (August 6-18, 2013), plus Curtain Call Series shows WICKED (February 20 - March 17, 2013), CATCH ME IF YOU CAN (June 25-30, 2013), and ANYTHING GOES (September 10-15, 2013).

Photos by Michael Lawrence Quintos.

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Season ticket prices for the Broadway Series start at $90. Season ticket prices for the Curtain Call Series start at $79.

Single tickets will go on sale approximately six weeks prior to individual engagements. Tickets and additional information may also be obtained by contacting the Box Office at (714) 556-2787 or visiting 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, 92626.

For more information visit SCFTA.org.

Segerstrom Center President Terry Dwyer

Bob Bucci (Broadway Across America)

Bryan Fenkart

Crystal Joy

Bryan Fenkart, Crystal Joy

Crystal Joy

Crystal Joy

Bryan Fenkart, Crystal Joy

Angel Reda

Angel Reda

Ian Piears (Joey Hind), Stuart Angell (Joey Heart), Tommy Luther (Joey Head)

Ian Piears (Joey Hind), Stuart Angell (Joey Heart), Tommy Luther (Joey Head)

Ian Piears (Joey Hind), Stuart Angell (Joey Heart), Tommy Luther (Joey Head)

Ian Piears (Joey Hind), Stuart Angell (Joey Heart), Tommy Luther (Joey Head) with Tim Lewis (Captain Nicholls)

Bob Bucci, Ian Piears (Joey Hind), Stuart Angell (Joey Heart), Tommy Luther (Joey Head) with Tim Lewis (Captain Nicholls)

Bob Bucci, Ian Piears (Joey Hind), Stuart Angell (Joey Heart), Tommy Luther (Joey Head) with Tim Lewis (Captain Nicholls)

Segerstrom Center Executive Vice President Judy Morr