It has been forever since I've been to Laguna Playhouse and that's my fault. For some reason, I…read morejust don't put life theater at the top of my list of entertainment, but that's going to change. I believe I saw this play being advertised on Instagram, etc. and it intrigued me so I opted to buy tickets. I'm one of those that do not necessarily need to be in the orchestra or main level and I chose to sit in the least expensive seats in the upper balcony areas. I don't think you can go wrong anywhere in the theater. There is municipal parking across from the theater, which is four dollars with no maximum hours. There's also metered parking in other city lots throughout the area. You can also take the free trolley. There is a small courtyard out front that early arrival patrons were mingling and having wine and a snack. Inside, there's a small beverage/bar area that featured some basic candy and snacks as well as some wine, coffee, and soft drinks. It was reasonably priced overall. We opted for a Coke and some pretzels and unfortunately, they carry the dots pretzels. I know everybody loves them. It's not my favorite. I do appreciate that they allowed the food and beverage into the theater. I'm kind of old-school a little bit of that because back in the day that was never allowed as far as the crowd most people were casually dressed or dressed to go maybe to dinner afterwards. It's a more casual environment compared to New York or Chicago theater districts. We thoroughly enjoyed the show. The shark is broken. The character casting was spot on. the mannerisms and voice inflections were also perfect. It was I believe a 90 minute show without intermission. Departing the theater and exiting across the street was easy. There are also restrooms. It seems handicap accessible on the lower level in general. I'm not sure about an elevator for the second level. I did not see one, but I would double check. Our tickets were will call in the box office person was very friendly and nice. I definitely will check back and see what other performances occur in the future.

Intimate venue. Play quality varies by actors performing, but no bad seats and a nice night out…read morewith many great restaurants nearby!

TLDR: Pageant of the Masters is a California vibe and unique event. Yes you should experience it at…read moreleast once and I'm a fan for life after seeing it for the first time. You can find street parking, it does cost money, there's a kiosk to pay, there's also a lot across the street. I went twice this year and got tickets at a significantly discounted price at the box office and they stop selling tickets at 8 pm. The closer to the front the better, but there's not a bad seat in the house. Finally went to Pageant of the Masters after years of hearing about it but still not understanding what it is. This year's theme was Gold Coast: Treasures of California which featured different types of artwork from local California artists as well as the many art museums throughout California and some of the famous pieces stored at those museums. I really enjoyed it because I love art museums and seeing some of these art works come to life and learn the history behind them was neat but I also absorbed all of the info. about it. I met up with a friend here who was a Pageant fan. We got here an hour and a half before they opened the amphitheater up and go to see the art exhibits outside. I'd compare it to going to the Hollywood Bowl to hang out and eat and drink outside the gates before you go in to see a show. There was tons of art and artists with their work on display and for sale and outdoor seating with a small stage with some amazing bands playing. The artwork here is not your typical artwork you'd see at an art walk, these artists and their works are for serious and REAL buyers. Art gallery type work that featured paintings, sculptures, photography that was bold, unique and of a a variety of tastes. Once inside, there's an orchestra playing music underneath the stage. It is recreations of paintings on a large scale, using humans and with a live orchestra. They use not only the stage, but also the smaller stages to the right and left and the hillside a bit to execute the vision. Bring binoculars to get a more detailed view and to see who is a human and who is just a cutout of a human. Production is very cool! Defiinitely a vibe and something fun to see with the whole family.

They really need to liven up the entertainment. I live around the corner and I'm in my 50s but I…read morefeel like all the music is made for people over 80. It used to be so much fun to go there to listen to the music before the show but now it's just a bunch of old people sitting around. They need to appeal to younger people and live it up. I also like to see more concerts during the off-season in the Irvine bowl.

I was so impressed with the Rivian South Coast Theater! Admittedly, I'm a local, but never went to…read morethe old theater. I've driven by so many times and always imagined it being really small with an old school feel. To my surprise, it was not small at all! This theater is big enough to fit 2 large Rivian trucks and then a whole upstairs area, movie screen, seating and more! Upon walking in, I felt like I was absolutely in an upscale place with beachy vibes. The aesthetic was perfect. Everything feels very open and artsy. I love all the books everywhere, especially the section that is for kids, at kid level even! I love all the seating. There are old school movie style seats for watching a show, there's a couch type area, with cool seating, and then there were some cool lounge type seats on the 2nd floor as well. I've heard that this theater hosts many events and I will for sure be back soon!

We've been here twice, with today being our 2nd time. The first time - it was on 11/20 when they…read morehad an owner's night gathering. There were some small bites, music, and fun little Rivian pin giveaways. Today there was a kids event where they can record their sound into a little heart, make a valentines craft and put a tiny flower bouquet together. People hung out and socialized but no food. Parking is difficult to find and costs $3 per hour in the nearby lots.

Wow, this was bad. I read these reviews on fb, with people…read moregoing on and on how amazing, great, exquisite, unbelievable this show is, the greatest ever! Seriously? What was I missing? There was a stage with some tiny something in the middle that supposed to be a painting made of humans. Couldn't tell, couldn't see anything, there was no moving, way too small to impress in any way. Some computer images projected on a screen above and a fashion history reading from some Google search website. The greatest show ever? Are orange county people so desperately trying to appear cultivated and into arts that they would overly praise an embarrassingly mediocre show? People were leaving at intermission because of how boring and uninteresting this performance was.

We too left at the intermission for the 1st time after 10+ times attending…read more In the past I have really liked the show, some more than others. I am sure they are always looking for ways to be creative, but this time it was a complete miss. If it was my first time I would never go again, but I am hoping they get the message since there were many others leaving when we did. I am not sure that a show that starts us off at a runway fashion show has broad appeal. We are going to see about the great artists and their work. I get the idea you were going with, but it did not work! Themes are good, but this just wasn't!

Live in Theater is an amazing Murder Mystery company that made our Halloween Party a HUGE success!…read moreThey cater to small intimate gatherings as well as large corporate parties like ours and they did a stellar job. We had many new guests attend and raved about their experience. It was not cheesy and the actors were superb! Live in Theater is a necessity for anyone who wants to try the Murder Mystery experience.

Thank you Live in Theater. The actors were so in character the whole time! Great stuff!!read more

We attended a terrific charity concert at the Soka Performing Arts Center. Cancer Teamwork…read moreResponse hosted an event headlined by Mike Garson (former piano player for David Bowie). Joe Sumner (Sting's son) and Veronica Swift were both featured signers. They performed a number of David Bowie songs, and they all sounded great. The event raised money for the charity and the audience truly enjoyed the evening. The staff at the Center were all friendly. I would not hesitate going to another event at the Center.

What a gift to Orange County. This is a smaller size concert hall than found in the Segerstrom…read morecomplex, and one with excellent acoustics and a sense of coziness and more connection with the performers. I've been to approximately 10 events here each time sitting in different places and my view has never been blocked (a problem I've had at other performing arts centers). Top notch performers are common. I attended Madama Butterfly, at a surprisingly reasonable cost for an opera of this quality, complete with an orchestra and chorus. Plenty of free parking is available for performances.

We had a wonderful time at the after walk Christmas party in the Newport theater…read more The band was amazing ! They played all the old classics , rock 'n' roll.... Unlimited beef, pork and chicken yummy tacos ! The cocktails were flowing , However, the wine that they offered was definitely a no Bueno for me . It was from Lodi. Festive night , Christmas cheer

New Port Theater is worth all the hype. The staff is amazing and so accommodating, Celina…read moreespecially is an absolute sweetheart. Additionally, Marty is the kindest person I've met in a long time. The Christmas after-party was filled with only good vibes and everyone was having the time of their lives and enjoying the music and ambiance! Food was to die for! Five stars all the way.

A hidden gem (quite literally) in Laguna Beach, the Museum of Make Believe truly lives up to the…read morewhimsy and magic it seeks to bestow upon its travelers. Highly recommend to anyone seeking a trip of puzzle-mystery with a nostalgic edge. Huge shoutout to Sabrina & Sylvan for guiding us along the way and their warm hospitality.

Super cute, whimsical and magical experience at the Museum of Make Believe…read more After seeing some Instagram posts and reels about the cute space, my friend and I decided to stop by to visit for a day trip. You do choose a time slot to enter, but due to traffic we were going to be a little bit late. We called and let the staff know and it was no biggie. Parking is a bit confusing since it's near a very busy road and residential area, so just make sure you're not parking where you can get fined or towed. After some confusion, we parked in the structure (unclear if allowed or not, but subsequently nothing happened. Phew!). The museum is located at the business plaza building and immediately stands out with it's beautiful storefront and the door that looks like it's out of a fairytale. Immediately we were welcomed by Sabrina, who was not only super informative (but in an easy to understand, not overwhelming way), but super friendly and made our visit that much more amazing. She knows the lore, knew the key and critical points to swoop in to enhance the magic (like when we went to ask the wise wizard some questions), and was very accommodating overall. The people really do make the magic. During your visit, you can opt to do the scavenger hunts and answer the riddles for some prizes and it varies in difficulty from easy to hard, but everything is open to interpretation based on YOUR IMAGINATION. It's the Museum of Make Believe for a reason. The attention to detail is immaculate, from the miniatures and dioramas, the foliage on the ceiling to the ground, and even in the water closet, there's so much to see and you can easily spend a long time just taking everything in. I won't include spoilers but I love that there's not just a lot to see, but to experience through sound and even smell! Lots of thought went into this museum and I'm glad it's getting expanded as well! Can't wait to see what the future holds for such a magical place!

I've been to the Sawdust Art Festival in Laguna Beach probably three or four times now between the…read moresummer and winter festivals and despite the crowds, the traffic, and the absurd lines... I keep going back! I usually attend with a close friend and while she's more of the purchaser, I tend to be a window shopper and craft admirer soaking it all in while seeing what surprises the booths contain. Though last monthI did pick up a few Christmas gifts for friends and family even though there wasn't much holiday specific merchandise. It felt great to support local artists and find some unique pieces. The winter festival decor is especially great with the cozy lights, festive touches, and plenty of spots that are great photo ops for both adults and families. The whole place is whimsical and creative and part of the fun is simply wandering without a plan and seeing what you find! Now for the realities: parking is insane, traffic can be really bad, and the lines for entry, food, and sometimes even the restrooms can really test your patience. The food lines in particular are ridiculous, so I usually eat before and/or plan dinner outside the festival (it's cheaper and less crazy). Pro tip: buy your ticket online and show it at the door. Do not wait in line to purchase tickets on site unless you enjoy unnecessary suffering!! All that said, the Sawdust Festival remains uniquely Laguna and there's always that sense of mystery about what you'll discover. Overall, four stars from me!

We went on December 21st, which was apparently the last day of the Sawdust Winter Fantasy event in…read moreLaguna Hills. This was our first, and possibly our last time that we will be attending one of these events. The parking situation was insane. We sat in bad traffic (caused by the festival as well as the construction being done on the highway) heading to Lot 16, only to find out after 35 minutes of slowly creeping and lapping down the minimal amount of lanes of parking (along with many other drivers doing the same thing) that we should just turn around and head back to Irvine for their free temporary lot instead. So we sat in major traffic again now headed back to Irvine to hopefully catch a trolley from there. (There went about an hour of our lives wasted.) So we get back to that lot and wait another 20 minutes or so only to find out that the next trolley that pulled up leaking all kinds of stuff, and the driver telling everyone that the trolley is out of commission and that the group would have to wait for the next one. Oy! So at this point we would have called it quits and cancelled this option for the day, BUT we had already prepaid online for our tickets... So we decided to spring for an uber instead. We were originally FIRST in line, but because the trolley pulled up to the stop and just parked there (blocking) broken down, everyone turned and faced the other way and now we would have been the absolute LAST loading the next trolley. (There was a huge crowd by then.) Our uber experience was much more pleasant, but there we were once again sitting in heavier traffic heading back in the direction we were originally that morning. What a day... Long story short, we get in and there are just crowds EVERYWHERE. It was so tight at times trying to walk past the individual booths, and hearing people (including multiple vendors) just hacking and sneezing away WAS NOT helping. Our family had managed to remain healthy and disease free all Winter, and we were definitely not planning on getting the flu, COVID or whatever as this seemed like a true disease spreader event. The food and drinks area were much worse, and once we got our food we ended up squeezing ourselves into a little pocket of an area and stood to drink our drinks and eat our quick meals. After perusing the entire proximity and spending a little time chatting with a few of the vendors, we took a few photos by the central Christmas tree and a little scenery (trying my best not to get any crowds into our shots), and headed our way out to the trolley. As we passed the ticket booth, we asked a young gal which direction the trolleys would be picking up and she just rudely shrugged and said she didn't know. The afternoon and evening ended up being quite long because of all the parking hassles and crowds. I don't feel it was worth our time for that day.

The waitress was super friendly and the food was great! Maybe a little on the pricy side for what…read moreyou get - I laughed a little at the $14 hot dog on the menu. I got the bruschetta to share and the pear Gorgonzola salad. The former was fine and the latter was really excellent. I shared some of the bread pudding bites and those were also really delicious, crunchy on the outside and custardy in the middle, a really interesting take on bread pudding that I loved. The view is amazing and it was the perfect spot for dinner while watching the sunset!

Been here many times. We always love it there…read more Mother's Day was nuts but it's a beautiful place. The "waiting list app" didn't work to well, or I misunderstood the directions We got a spot 120 minutes wait and headed down. Arrived 20 minutes early and was told the 120 started then. Not 100 minutes ago. I recommend this place and give them a break because it was packed for Mother's Day. The staff worked their butts off and I commend them. Long day I'm sure