Laguna JaZz Band to open the Fête de la Musique
The Laguna JaZz Band, a subgroup of the the Laguna Community Concert Band, performs its cool jazz and big band favorites on Saturday, June 18, 2022, for the 16th annual Fête de la Musique. At 11 a.m., The Laguna JazZ Band kicks off at the cobblestones on Main Beach with vocalist and Laguna Beach local, Ginger Hatfield. At noon, vocalist Lisa Morrice joins the band for its next set. The play list mingles big band classics like Duke Ellington’s “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore,” and jazz standards such as George Gershwin’s “S’Wonderful,” with The Beach Boys’ beloved “Kokomo,” and more contemporary tunes such as Sadé’s “Smooth Operator.”
The Fête de la Musique owes much of its local success to Laguna Community Concert Band co-founder and French horn player, Carol Reynolds. After traveling to Menton, France, as part of a delegation to form a Sister City liaison, Reynolds agreed to produce the Fête de la Musique in Laguna Beach for several years. The Laguna JaZz Band or The Laguna Community Concert Band have performed every year at the Fête de la Musique since its inception in 2007.
Later this summer, the Laguna JaZz Band and the Laguna Community Concert Band perform this summer at Festival of Arts. The Laguna Community Concert Band plays on Sunday, July 17 at noon. The Laguna JaZz Band plays on Wednesday, July 27 at 5:30 p.m.
Both bands rehearse at the Laguna Beach High School band room on Tuesday nights at 6 p.m. For the latest news and a calendar of concerts, or if you would like to play with the bands, go to the website at www.lagunaconcertband.com.
LagunaTunes to Celebrate 20 Years with Concert
LagunaTunes Community Chorus is in rehearsal for a 20th-anniversary celebration performance called LagunaTunes—Greatest Hits. The concert is a look back at the group’s favorite music from 2003, when the group was founded, to the present. In a survey sent to all past and present members, participants were invited to vote for their favorite songs from the last 20 years. Directors from past years will make guest appearances and past members are particularly urged to attend, greet old friends and join in this nostalgic trip down memory lane. The concert, LagunaTunes—Greatest Hits, will be June 11 at 4 p.m. in the Artists’ Theatre at Laguna Beach High School, and admission is free. The high-energy program will include songs made popular by the likes of Queen, The Beatles, ABBA, Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner and Gladys Knight and the Pips, plus a few surprises. It’s not your traditional community chorus! The chorus is led by Bob Gunn, former long-time director of Orange County’s Men Alive chorus and Laguna’s St. Mary’s choir. LagunaTunes is a nonprofit organization that provides choral singing to everyone (no auditions). Funding is by the FOA Foundation and The Lodging Establishments and city of Laguna Beach. More information is available by visiting www.lagunatuneschorus.org or by emailing [email protected].
Laguna Art Museum Programs
June 10 at 6 p.m. – LAM Goes BOOM: A Pride Celebration
Join us for a night honoring Laguna’s legendary gay bars, including the renowned The Boom Boom Room, in celebration of Pride Month. The museum’s galleries will screen Fred Karger’s documentary “Save the Boom,” followed by a lively DJ set by DJ SoulFire to set the stage for dancing and celebration!
June 11 at 2 p.m. – Artist Spotlight: Russell Crotty
Discover the fascinating world of artist Russell Crotty in a special conversation with LAM Curatorial Fellow Rochelle Steiner. Explore Crotty’s work on display in the Southern California Contemporary Art exhibition and delve into his engagement with subjects like astronomy, landscape, mapping, and coastal studies. This public event will offer insights into how Crotty weaves together the natural and manmade worlds.
June 15 at 6 p.m. – Kids’ Night Out: Pizza Party with the Spence Collection
Give your kids a special, fun-filled night with dinner, art activities, and an interactive scavenger hunt at the museum. The museum’s education team will guide young learners on an exploration of the museum exhibitions and provide opportunities for hands-on art making activities, allowing caregivers and parents to enjoy a night out as well. Registration is open to children aged 6–12 only. Advanced registration is required.
Mad Scientist of Music Coming to Laguna
Elvis Schoenberg’s Orchestre Surreal is coming to the Artist’s Theater at Laguna Beach High School on June 18, starring the Mad Scientist of Music, Ross Wright (aka Elvis Schoenberg) and featuring classical guitarist Eric Henderson. Free parking is available.
A wild and seductive orchestral ride that pushes against the boundaries of genre and dares to suggest a world stripped of those borders, the Orchestre Surreal presents radically different artistic expressions that, in Elvis Schoenberg’s world, have every obligation to collide. The result is a celebratory deconstructing of known and unknown songs with the wit and whimsy of Spike Jones and the musical complexities of Frank Zappa and a showcasing of the wackiest wacky-savant orchestra of twenty-five musicians in recent history. Local musician Phil Goff will also be featured. The doors open at 7 p.m. for VIP ticket holders and 7:30 p.m. for general admission. Tickets can be purchased here www.eventbrite.com/e/elvisshoenbergs-orchestre-surreal-featuring-eric-henderson-tickets-624918256327.
Summer Writing Workshops Coming Up at Cultural Arts Center
Laguna Beach Cultural Arts Center is offering writing workshops this summer for both for local high school students who could use extra help on their dreaded college application essays and aspiring writers looking to discover and tell their real-life stories.
Writing coach Janine Robinson will teach participants how to conjure their personal stories, and then craft them into anecdotal, experiential and personal essays. Students will learn a variety of brainstorming exercises, storytelling prompts and narrative writing techniques in a supportive, upbeat environment.
Both the workshops for rising high school seniors and adult writers run Mondays and Wednesdays in June and July and will be held at LBCUC’s downtown location. Janine is offering one of the college app essay writing workshops free for any students who can’t afford them.
A longtime Laguna Beach resident, Janine spent the last decade teaching students, parents and teachers how to find their unique stories to power college application essays. Her business is called Essay Hell (www.essayhell.com). Before that, she spent several decades as a journalist, working as a reporter for The Miami Herald and OC Register, as well as the editor of local magazines and Internet companies. She also is a credentialed high school English teacher.
For details on the writing workshops, go to https://conta.cc/42Q9thN. Or email Janine at: [email protected].
Marc Wiener to Speak at Upcoming Laguna Beach Business Club Meeting
The Laguna Beach Business Club is proud to announce our June 15 meeting speaker, Laguna Beach Community Development Director, Marc Wiener. The LBBC holds a breakfast meeting the third Thursday of each month starting at 7:30 a.m. hosting speakers that discuss topics valuable to achieving success in your personal and professional lives.
Marc Wiener was appointed Laguna Beach Community Development Director in December 2019. He has 15 years of experience working in coastal communities, having previously worked as director for the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea.
Club meetings begin with a buffet breakfast and brief networking roundtable. Meetings are hosted at 7° [seven-degrees], 891 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, CA 92651. Non-members welcome. For more information about the LBBC or to register to attend the meeting please either visit our website at lagunabeachbusinessclub.com, or email at [email protected].
Pride 365 to Host Drag Cabaret Show
Laguna Beach Pride 365 is hosting “I am what I am…” an evening-long Drag Cabaret Show and Fundraising event at the Bridge Hall and Garden Courtyard, 340 St Ann’s Dr, on June 17 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The cabaret entertainment will feature a bevy of the best Orange County comedic drag personalities, hosted by master of ceremonies Jesse Silverstone, with local DJ Devin Christopher in the mix.
During the event, participants will have the opportunity to bid on valuable items offered by local businesses in support of Laguna Beach Pride 365. All proceeds benefit the new Rainbow Lifeguard Tower of Diversity at West Street Beach and Laguna’s annual Pride Festival of activities scheduled for Aug. 12 and all are tax-deductible as charitable donations. A full no-host bar service is available with a complement of lite bites. More information can be found at lagunabeachpride.org.
Catmosphere Laguna Foundation And Laguna Beach Animal Shelter Adoption Event Coming Up
On Saturday, June 17, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Catmosphere Laguna cats and kittens will be featured for adoption at the Laguna Beach Animal Shelter, located at 20612 Laguna Canyon Road. The event is family friendly and offers snacks and giveaways.
Catmosphere Laguna Foundation introduced Orange County’s first Cat Café & Lounge. Catmosphere Laguna Rescue is a nonprofit feline rescue that serves Laguna Beach and the surrounding communities every day of the week and is dedicated to finding forever homes for homeless, relinquished, abandoned and special-needs cats and kittens. Those interested in the event, or becoming a volunteer, can contact Catmosphere Laguna Foundation at 949-619-MEOW (6369) or [email protected] for more information.
