SEGERSTROM CENTER FOR THE ARTS IS CELEBRATING AAPI HERITAGE MONTH WITH AN EXCITING MONTHLONG LINEUP OF EVENTS!
FEATURING DANCE, MUSIC, FILM AND MORE!
COSTA MESA, CA | Segerstrom Center for the Arts is proud to announce its vibrant lineup of events on the Julianne and George Argyros Plaza celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Throughout May, the Center will spotlight local AAPI artists, offering a diverse array of events and activities. From dynamic dance classes to captivating live music performances, thought-provoking film screenings, and exciting family-friendly activities, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
Admission for all events is free with our new Plaza Pass. Before you arrive, sign up for free and download this digital pass to your mobile wallet for access to AAPI Heritage Month events along with thrilling live entertainment, exciting cultural experiences, and free community programming on the Julianne and George Argyros Plaza.
All events are outdoors in an open plaza with limited built-in seating. Audience members may bring their own folding chairs if desired. Food and beverages will be available for purchase at George’s Café. Attendees are welcome to bring their own refreshments, however outside alcohol, glass containers, tables, barbecues, and food preparation are not permitted on the Plaza. The Plaza can get chilly with occasional strong breezes. Please bring a warm sweater or jacket to ensure maximum comfort during the performance. All films will be screened with English dubbing and subtitles. Concerts may include flashing lights, but will not include theatrical haze and fog, or strobing effects.
The Center is committed to fostering cultural diversity and inclusivity through its programming. Join us in May as we honor and celebrate the diverse cultures and talents of the AAPI community.
Continuing the celebration, our Broadway and Family series are offering even more cultural experiences during the month of May. The Pa’akai We Bring celebrates the vibrant culture, music, and storytelling traditions of Hawaii. Set against the backdrop of the mystical city of Agrabah, Aladdin’s stunning choreography, breathtaking sets, and beloved songs promises to enchant audiences of all ages.
For more information, visit scfta.org.
AAPI Heritage Month Lineup
Movie Night: Past Lives | May 3rd
The festivities will kick off with a screening of the Oscar nominated film Past Lives, preceded by a festive evening of music, food, and free activities for all! Enjoy fun photo ops, local food trucks, and artmaking activities led by OCAPICA’s Well(ness)essity team, along with a filmmaker Q&A led by Some Folks Productions.
About Past Lives:
Nora and Hae Sung, two deeply connected childhood friends, are wrest apart after Nora’s family emigrates from South Korea. Two decades later, they are reunited in New York for one fateful week as they confront notions of destiny, love, and the choices that make a life, in this heartrending modern romance.
Event Schedule:
6:30 PM – Enjoy food trucks, artmaking, and more!
7:30 PM – Filmmaker Q&A
8:00 PM – Past Lives
Disney’s Aladdin | May 7th-12th
Discover a whole new world at Disney’s ALADDIN, the hit Broadway musical.
From the producer of The Lion King comes the timeless story of ALADDIN, a thrilling new production filled with unforgettable beauty, magic, comedy and breathtaking spectacle. It’s an extraordinary theatrical event where one lamp and three wishes make the possibilities infinite.
Hailed by USA Today as “Pure Genie-Us,” ALADDIN features all your favorite songs from the film as well as new music written by Tony® and Academy Award® winner Alan Menken (Newsies) with lyrics penned by the legendary Howard Ashman (Beauty and the Beast), Tony Award winner Tim Rice (The Lion King, Aida), and book writer Chad Beguelin (The Wedding Singer).
Movie Night: Funny Money | May 10th
Join us for a screening of Funny Money (2013), preceded by a festive evening of music, food, and free activities for all! Enjoy fun photo ops, local food rucks, and artmaking activities along with a filmmaker Q&A led by the Vietnamese American Arts and Letters Association (VAALA).
About Funny Money:
In this slapstick comedy and winner of Viet Film Fest’s Best Feature, the stressed-out manager of a company in Saigon that manufactures “ghost money” for funerals finds himself in possession of a torn bill that he cannot get rid of due to superstition around accepting or exchanging worn bills. After passing the bill off to an unsuspecting young woman seeking good fortune at a temple, a series of mishaps befall them both, entangling the two characters in a series of hilarious encounters as they attempt to escape their bad karma.
Event Schedule:
6:30 PM – Enjoy food trucks, artmaking, and more!
7:30 PM – Filmmaker Q&A with Funny Money Director Thien Do
8:00 PM – Funny Money
The Pa’akai We Bring | May 11th & 12th
This original production introduces audiences to the Native Hawaiian relationship to pa‘akai (salt). Traditionally, pa‘akai is food, medicine, a sacrament, and a treasured gift. The show follows a family with multiple generations of salt farmers on Kauai, mixing in ancient stories, hula, live music, original songs, and plenty of audience participation into a tasty potluck of performance, joyously served up with aloha.
Created in partnership with the Bishop Museum and cultural elders and leaders, this performance created by Honolulu Theatre for Youth is intended for a multigenerational audience, so audience members young and old can have this restorative experience together.
Family Movie Night: Disney’s Moana | May 24th
The celebration continues with a family movie night, preceded by a festive evening of music,
food, and free activities for all! Enjoy fun photo ops, local food trucks, and artmaking
activities designed for young movie fans.
Event Schedule:
6:30 PM – Enjoy food trucks, artmaking, and more!
8:00 PM – Movie begins
Anime Night and Concert: South Side Symphony and Kids on the Slope | May 31st
Wrapping up the month will be an unforgettable evening that explores Black music in anime and Japanese jazz. This brand-new musical venture will be part anime screening, part concert and part discussion that highlights the dynamic fusion of two cultures.
Why do so many Black people love anime? Why does anime love jazz, hip hop, and other Black American music genres? Dr. Marcus Norris and South Side Symphony return to explore these questions and more, celebrating cultural exchanges as we transition from AAPI Heritage Month to Black Music Month. It’s a party on Argyros Plaza featuring a full orchestra and a concert packed with new twists on your favorite anime themes!
About Kids on the Slope:
Kids on the Slope follows Kaoru Nishimi, an introverted high school student who discovers jazz music through his friendship with his delinquent classmate Sentarō Kawabuchi. Kaoru begins playing piano at after-school jazz sessions in the basement of a fellow classmates’ family-owned record shop.
Event Schedule:
6:30 PM – Enjoy food trucks and fun photo ops!
8:00 PM – Kids on the Slope
8:30 PM – South Side Symphony
Tuesday Night Dance: Polynesian | May 7th, 14th, 21st, & 28th
Every month from April through September, join us on the Julianne and George Argyros Plaza to learn a new style of dance taught by an expert local instructor. Tuesday Night Dance is fun, upbeat, and designed for all ages and abilities–all are welcome, no dance experience required. This month, we’re welcoming back Tupua Productions for a month of Polynesian dance. Enjoy new steps, new friends, and live drums! Tuesday Night Dance is part of the Center’s celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, featuring a multi-week lineup spotlighting AAPI artists in dance, music, film and more!
AAPI Heritage Month
Segerstrom Center for the Arts
Friday Movie Nights
Fridays May 3rd, 10th, & 24th
Doors open at 6:30 PM
Free with Plaza Pass
Disney’s Aladdin
May 7th – 12th
Segerstrom Hall
Tickets starting at $49
The Pa’akai We Bring
May 11th & 12th
Samueli Theater
Tickets starting at $20
Anime Film screening and Concert
Friday, May 31st
Doors open at 6:30 PM
Free with Plaza Pass
Tuesday Night Dance: Polynesian
Tuesdays May 7th, 14th, 21st, & 28th
6:30 – 7:30PM
Free with Plaza Pass
Box Office
In-person:
The Box Office
600 Town Center Drive
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Monday 10 am to 2 pm
Tuesday through Friday 12 pm to 5 pm
Saturday and Sunday: Closed
Phone: Monday – Friday 10 am to 5 pm
Online: SCFTA.org
Group Sales: (714) 755-0236
