Community Open House rocks out at Musco Center on April 2! From Gershwin and Ives to jazz and dance, there's something for everyone at Community Open House & Arts Festival

Imagine a sprawling plaza and outdoor stages filled with an array of performers, live music, family activities, food, art and a classical music concert. That will be the scene on Saturday, April 2, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. when Chapman University throws open its door for a free Community Open House & Arts Festival at the Marybelle and Sebastian P. Musco Center for the Arts.

Among the highlights anchoring the daylong schedule will be a 4:30 p.m. concert by Chapman College of Performing Arts (CoPA) ensembles on the Musco Center stage — billed as the largest-ever onstage collaboration of CoPA student and faculty artists and ensembles. The concert is part of the 2016 INTERPLAY “American Visions, American Voices” Festival, a partnership between Chapman and Pacific Symphony, which this year celebrates the music and legacy of American composers Charles Ives and George Gershwin.

Admission to the concert is free and seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis.

The day will also include family activities, tours and demonstrations, a rally of some of Orange County’s best food trucks, and more. Three internationally acclaimed fusion/world music groups – Troker, Delhi 2 Dublin, and the Stooges Brass Band — will also be showcased.

The Community Open House & Arts Festival is suitable for all ages, and family groups are welcome. Free parking will be available in the Chapman structure at 200 W. Sycamore Street, about a block from Musco Center. Admission is free, and tickets are not required (except for Pacific Symphony’s 7:30 p.m. concert, which is currently sold out; however, a limited number of free tickets will be available beginning at 3 p.m. on April 2, and a stand-by line for any unused tickets will form at 6:30 p.m.)

The Musco Center for the Arts Community Open House & Arts Festival is generously supported by
Edison International
.

For more information, visit
www.MuscoCenter.org
, or call 1-844-OC-MUSCO (844-626-8726).

MUSCO CENTER COMMUNITY OPEN HOUSE & ARTS FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

Festival Food Trucks Rally


Located on Chapman Plaza near the University main gate, south of Aitken Arts Plaza at the top of the slope. Nosh on fare from some of OC’s best food trucks!

Indoors: Julianne Argyros Orchestra Hall

11 a.m. –
Performances by Chapman student ensembles and clubs

1 p.m. —
Ballet and contemporary dance by OC dance companies

2:30 p.m. —
Demonstration of Musco Center’s technical capabilities

4:30 p.m. —
Multi-media showcase by Chapman College of Performing Arts ensembles – The Chapman Orchestra, Chapman Wind Symphony, Faculty Brass Quartet, Chapman String Quartet, CoPA dancers and actors – featuring the music of George Gershwin and Charles Ives. (Part of the INTERPLAY 2016 Festival presented by Chapman University and Pacific Symphony, with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities).

7:30 p.m. —
Pacific Symphony, under the baton of music director and conductor Carl St.Clair, performs a program including Grieg’s Piano Concerto, with internationally acclaimed concert pianist Grace Fong of Chapman’s Hall-Musco Conservatory of Music, and Beethoven’s majestic Fifth Symphony. (Free performance is currently SOLD OUT – standby line forms at 6 p.m. for any unused seats.)

 

 

Outdoors: Milan Panić Amphitheatre (Family Stage)


Located just east of Musco Center on the slope

11 a.m. – 3:20 p.m –
Family-oriented entertainers, including student and local arts and cultural ensembles; child performers such as The Priceless Pearls of Santa Ana; magic; dancers from the Arpana Dance Company of Irvine and Straight Up
Abilities
of Los Angeles; the Philharmonic Society of Orange County’s mobile music program for all ages; and much more.

Outdoors: Community Stage


Located on the Aitken Arts Plaza

Noon – 3:20 p.m. –
Enjoy a wide variety of performances by artists and arts and cultural organizations from Chapman University and the surrounding Orange County communities, ranging from traditional Vietnamese dances by The Lac Hong Arts Group of Westminster to the Wimberley Bluegrass Band (a group of four Chapman seniors who are all siblings). Additional acts include flamenco and belly-dance, cumbia-American rhythms, classical delights and much more.

Outdoors: Wells Fargo Choral Stage


Located in front of Leatherby Libraries on the Attallah Piazza

Noon – 3:20 p.m.
– A dazzling array of choral ensembles and vocal groups from local high schools and surrounding cities, including Chance Theater of Anaheim, the Saddleback Chorale of Irvine, the Golden West Pops of Costa Mesa, and more.

Outdoors: World Stage


Located on the Aitken Arts Plaza

3:30 p.m. — Troker
— An acclaimed jazz-funk-rock band from Guadalajara, Mexico, Troker blends the traditional brass and mariachi music of its homeland with the latest fusion and global influences to create a contemporary expression of the Mexican music scene, completely without labels. “Noisy, chaotic, sprawling, messy and altogether wonderful,” raves
All About Jazz
.

6 p.m. –  Delhi 2 Dublin
— Vancouver-based Delhi 2 Dublin mashes up electronica and world music, keeping it heavy on the Bhangra, Celtic and Dub flavors. Fusing tabla, fiddle, dhol, Punjabi vocals and electric sitar with scorching electronic beats, the crew takes listeners on a wild ride through global sounds and synchronicities.  “What a great, high-energy, fun show! The energy was infectious – go see these guys!” – Audience member’s review on Ticketmaster.com

9 p.m. —  Stooges Brass Band
– Come join the party, New Orleans-style, on the Aitken Arts Plaza to wrap up a fantastic day! One of the Crescent City’s elite brass bands, the Stooges provide a blast of true New Orleans spirit, engaging audiences with their innovative blend of traditional brass jazz, contemporary and urban hip-hop beats. “One of the most entertaining, audience-interactive bands on the scene!” – BestOfNewOrleans.com

For more information and a schedule of other upcoming events at the Musco Center, visit
muscocenter.org