MARCH 16–APRIL 11
Orange Curtain: Up
Acclaimed sketch-comedy troupe the Second City presents Can You Be More Pacific? Custom-crafted for the Laguna Playhouse, the production lampoons Laguna Beach and the O.C. From real housewives to theme-park mania, this California adventure behind the Orange Curtain promises to be one wild ride that doesn’t require a toll road. It’s the sixth region-specific show from the troupe that fostered such comedic legends as John Belushi, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, Stephen Colbert, Mike Myers and Tina Fey.

march 24
MARIINSKY THEATRE ORCHESTRA Legendary conductor Valery Gergiev leads Russia’s oldest musical institution, founded in the 18th century, in Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 at the Orange County Performing Arts Center.

OPENS MARCH 27
SECRETS OF THE SILK ROAD Exhibition of 150 historical objects at Bowers Museum in Santa Ana includes three mummies preserved in western China’s desert, never seen in the U.S, that reveal surprising details about the people along the ancient Silk Road trade route.

APRIL 22–29
newport BEACH FILM FESTIVAL Hundreds of features, short films, documentaries and animated films from around the world, as well as galas, yacht parties and sessions with directors and screenwriters. Past premieres included 2005 Best Picture Academy Award winner Crash.

april 23-25
LOS ANGELES ANGELS OF ANAHEIM The American League Western Division champions five out of the last six seasons take on the New York Yankees, the team that kept them from the World Series, at Angel Stadium.

April 23-25
newport to ensenada race The world’s largest international yacht race starts in Newport Beach and ends 125 nautical miles south in Ensenada, Baja California. The views are spectacular from land or sea.

April 25
THE eagles The classic rockers should soar at the Honda Center in Anaheim, performing hits from their chart-topping Long Road Out of Eden album, along with fan favorites from an exceptional 40-year musical career.

May 22-23
doheny blues festival The best blues fest in the West is at Doheny Beach State Park. The event features some two dozen blues, rock and soul acts on three stages, microbrew tasting and a music store where fans meet performers.

OPENS May 26
THE LION KING More than 45 million people worldwide have seen Disney’s Tony Award- winning Broadway show. Innovative puppetry brings the beloved story of Simba and the animals of the African Lands to vivid life at the Orange County Performing Arts Center.