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Segerstrom Center for the Arts is proud to present an incredible lineup of festive performances to make this season merry and bright, including international music sensations, timeless dance, esteemed recording artists, lively outdoor activities, and a Christmas Broadway classic.
The month kicks off with the return of a Center-favorite magical ballet tradition American Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker (December 8 – 17, 2023), and continues with holiday family fun on the plaza at Silent Night Silent Disco (December 8, 2023) and a walk through the seasonal traditions across the globe at Holidays Around the World (December 10, 2023). SMASH star Megan Hilty graces the Samueli Theater stage at A Merry Little Christmas with Megan Hilty (December 14 -16, 2023).
A classic holiday tale comes to life with the wonderful and whimsical Dr.Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical (December 19-24, 2023), followed by a reimagining of Tchaikovsky’s classic Nutcracker Suite with Afro-Cuban energetic rhythms and immersive sound experience at The Pan American Nutcracker Suite (December 22, 2023).
Fiesta Navidad (December 23, 2023) returns with a traditional Mexican celebration of Christmas Eve, and the season culminates with the return of Salute to Vienna New Year’s Concert (December 30, 2023). There are so many reasons to make Segerstrom Center your home for the holidays!
Tickets for all these wonderful events are available online at scfta.org, in person at 600 Town Center Drive Costa Mesa, CA 92626, or by phone at (714) 556-2787.
Holiday Lineup:
American Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker
With Tchaikovsky’s Score Performed Live by Pacific Symphony
December 8-17, 2023
Segerstrom Hall
Tickets start at $29.
“… ravishing and clever enough to inspire multiple viewings.” – Los Angeles Times
“Jaw-droppingly beautiful!” – OC Register
SoCal’s favorite holiday tradition returns with American Ballet Theatre’s critically acclaimed production of The Nutcracker. Created by one of today’s most celebrated choreographers, Alexei Ratmansky, this dazzling holiday treat features ABT’s roster of superstar dancers along with gorgeous sets and costumes by Tony winner Richard Hudson, and Pacific Symphony playing Tchaikovsky’s timeless score.
The Nutcracker is the tale of a young girl, Clara, who receives the gift of a nutcracker doll at her family’s Christmas party. In her dreams that night, the nutcracker doll comes to life as a handsome prince who joins her on a magical journey. Together, they travel to lands filled with dancing snowflakes, waltzing flowers, a mouse army and other exotic characters, all brought to vivid life on stage by a cast of over 100 performers!
American Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker is one of the great joys of the holiday season. Make a memory with your loved ones!
Nutcracker Sweet Seats
A limited number of exclusive Sweet Seats are available for the weekend performances of The Nutcracker! Along with prime Orchestra seating, this ticket also comes with a Segerstrom Center keepsake ornament, a The Nutcracker collectible poster, and a delicious holiday cookie – all in a Segerstrom Center tote bag! Make it a holiday experience your loved ones will remember forever!
Silent Night Silent Disco
Friday, December 8, 2023 from 7 PM – 10 PM
Julianne and Geroge Argyros Plaza
All tickets are $15 per person.
We can’t guarantee calm, but we can guarantee bright! Ring in the holiday season with us this year at the next Silent Night Silent Disco! With three upbeat channels to play on your own light-up wireless headphones, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Whether you love the holiday classics or hits from the Top 40, The Silent DJs will have you rockin’ around the dance floor all night long!
Holidays Around the World
Sunday, December 10, 2023 from 11 AM – 2 PM
Julianne and Geroge Argyros Plaza
Entry is free with RSVP.
Experience the most wonderful time of year at the Center and join us for a day of festive family fun as we transform the Julianne and George Argyros Plaza into a spectacular winter wonderland! Enjoy a variety of festive performances from local music acts and dance groups that celebrate holiday traditions from all around the world. Kids can create their own seasonal crafts and get to experience a little holiday magic with sparkling snowfall on the Plaza!
A Merry Little Christmas with Megan Hilty
December 14-16, 2023
Samueli Theater
Tickets start at $89.
Santa is making an early delivery this year (to all the good little Broadway-loving girls and boys): Center favorite Megan Hilty is returning with a new holiday show!
The star of WICKED and TV’s SMASH, Megan is an artist who has developed a special relationship with our Cabaret audience over just a few years! Her sweetness, humor, and magnificent singing first charmed us when she made her debut in Samueli Theater in 2019. She then returned to lift our spirits and help us through some tough times with an outdoor Plaza performance when our indoor facilities were closed. Finally, Megan lit up our Cabaret stage in 2021 with a joyous set when it was safe to welcome people back! With each visit back to her “second home,” her warmth, sincerity, and immense talent have won more fans.
We’re so thrilled to have Megan back where she belongs, with us for a brand-new holiday show. Expect to be dazzled, delighted, and thoroughly entertained at these performances in the Center’s Cabaret!
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical
December 19-24, 2023
Segerstrom Hall
Tickets start at $29.
THE GRINCH broke box office records for two consecutive years on Broadway during its holiday engagements at the St. James and Hilton theatres in New York. Since then, more than 2.1 million theatre-goers across America have been delighted by this heart-warming holiday musical, which The New York Times praised as “100 times better than any bedtime story” and the Gannett papers hailed as “A genius of a show! A total delight for both kids and adults.”
Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical features the hit songs “You’re A Mean One Mr. Grinch” and “Welcome Christmas” (written by Albert Hague and Dr. Seuss) from the original animated series.
Max the Dog narrates as the mean and scheming Grinch, whose heart is “two sizes too small,” decides to steal Christmas away from the Holiday loving Whos. Magnificent sets (John Lee Beatty) and costumes (Robert Morgan) inspired by Dr. Seuss’ original illustrations help transport audiences to the whimsical world of Whoville, while the Music and Book of Mel Marvin and Timothy Mason breathe new life into this timeless story of the true meaning of Christmas.
The 2023 production is directed by Matt August and choreographed by Bob Richard based on the original choreography by John DeLuca and originally created by 3-time Tony Award® winning director, Jack O’Brien.
Joe McCarthy’s New York Afro Bop Alliance Big Band Presents the Pan American Nutcracker Suite
Friday, December 22, 2023 at 8 PM
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall
Tickets start at $39.
“Pan American Nutcracker Suite is an aural tour de force, an all-encompassing, immersive sound experience.” – The Urban Music Scene
The Pan American Nutcracker Suite is a global musical adventure that celebrates and unites Tchaikovsky’s timeless masterpiece “The Nutcracker Suite”, with the beautifully diverse musical traditions of the Americas and beyond!
Created and co-arranged by Joe McCarthy and Vince Norman, this composition features original orchestrations accompanied with dance, and performed by Joe McCarthy’s Latin Grammy® Award Winning New York Afro Bop Alliance Big Band.
Fiesta Navidad
Saturday, December 23, 2023 at 8 PM
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall
Tickets start at $32.
One of Orange County’s most beloved holiday events, Fiesta Navidad, features the Grammy Award®-winning Mariachi Los Camperos in a concert filled with festive music and dance. This celebration of Mexican holiday traditions is a joyous annual tradition at Segerstrom Center, perfect for the whole family.
Salute to Vienna’s New Year’s Concert
Saturday, December 30, 2023 at 3 PM
Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall
Tickets start at $49.
European singers, dancers, and full orchestra.
With timeless music, dazzling costumes, breathtaking dance, stunning floral designs, Salute to Vienna New Year’s Concert returns to Segerstrom Center for the Arts for an unforgettable New Year’s celebration that will enchant and delight audiences of all ages.
Freshly updated each year with a new cast and musical program, the exuberant music of Johann Strauss and his counterparts will spring to life in a joyful spectacle. The Maestro, an expert in Viennese music, will lead the orchestra and the audience on a journey through the Golden Age of Vienna with wit, charm, and more than a few jokes along the way.
Energetic, lighthearted, and full of romance, the music of Salute to Vienna New Year’s Concert goes down like a glass of Champagne. Ring in 2024 with this celebration of music, beauty, and human connection.”
Strauss Symphony of America
Alastair Willis, conductor (London)
Michaëla Oeste, soprano (Berlin)
Martin Piskorski, tenor (Vienna)
Featuring dancers from the San Diego Ballet
Additional December Performances at Segerstrom Center for the Arts
123 Andrés
December 9 -10, 2023
Samueli Theater
Tickets only $20.
Sensory friendly/relaxed and ASL interpreted performances available.
FREE pre-show activities
Deemed “a rockstar for little language learners” by Billboard, Andrés and Christina are the Latin Grammy®-winning music duo 123 Andrés (pronounced “uno, dos, tres, Andrés”).
Their catchy songs and lively, interactive concerts get the whole family dancing and learning—in Spanish and English.
The husband-wife duo fuse folk-based rhythms from all corners of Latin America with upbeat pop, creating a winning combination for listeners of any age. Featuring first-class musicianship and rich instrumentation, 123 Andrés has performed for thousands of children around the US and in Latin America, and has been featured by outlets like NPR, the Boston Globe, Washington Post, CNN en Español, Univisión, Telemundo, and SiriusXM’s KidsPlaceLive.
KC and the Sunshine Band
Saturday, December 30, 2023 at 7:30 PM
Segerstrom Hall
Tickets start at $59
KC and The Sunshine Band formed in 1973 with one single purpose: to create instant happiness through music – and the group has done just that, topping the charts with singles including “That’s the Way (I Like It),” “Get Down Tonight,” and “(Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty,” tallying worldwide sales of over 100 million, and receiving numerous awards.
In 2013, KC was honored with two distinct Lifetime Achievement Awards, made several television appearances, and earned a new star on the Palm Springs Walk of Fame in his home state of Florida, which accompanies his previously awarded national recognition of a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame. Catch the sound that grabbed the hearts and minds of listeners and compelled them to get out of their seats and onto the dance floor!
In-person and Phone-
Box Office
600 Town Center Drive
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 556-2787
Monday 10 am – 2 pm
Tuesday through Friday Noon- 5 pm
Closed Saturdays and Sundays
Online – SCFTA.org
Group Sales – (714) 755-0236
Segerstrom Center for the Arts is an innovative, nonprofit arts organization committed to supporting artistic excellence, creating impactful educational programs, and dedicated to engaging a culturally connected, inclusive, and vital Orange County community for all, through the power of live performance.
Segerstrom Center for the Arts applauds its corporate partner Kaiser Permanente, its Official Health Care Partner, and recognizes Riviera Magazine as media partner for the Dance Series, Spectrum Reach as media partner for the Broadway Series, RAGE Monthly as media partner for the Cabaret Series, and Parenting OC as media partner for the Family Series. The Center also recognizes Chopard as the Presenting Jewelry Sponsor for American Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker.
Information provided is accurate at the time of printing but is subject to change. Segerstrom Center for the Arts is a public, non-profit organization. “Segerstrom Center for the Arts” and “SCFTA” are registered trademarks.
