Lightwire Theater Brings THE UGLY DUCKLING & THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE to the Segerstrom This Weekend

Following their recent breakout success on America's Got Talent, receiving great accolades from the judges and audiences, Lightwire Theater brings its unique method of storytelling to light at Segerstrom Center for the Arts today, May 17 at 1:00pm and May 18 at 1:00pm and 3:30pm in Samueli Theater. The timeless tales of Hans Christian Andersen's The Ugly Duckling and Aesop's fable The Tortoise and the Hare meet modern day cutting-edge technology as a dark stage illuminates, bringing these beloved characters to life with the use of electroluminescent wire. Audiences will marvel at the stunning imagery, compelling choreography and stirring music.

There will be free pre-show creative play activities beginning one hour before each performance. The Center's Education and Community Programs Department offers these activities to provide young people and their families more opportunities to play creatively together. Studies show creative play is critical in helping children develop their ability to think and problem solve.

Lightwire Theater's The Ugly Duckling and The Tortoise and the Hare is recommended for children ages 4 - 8. Tickets are $20 and are now available online at SCFTA.org, at the Box Office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa or by calling (714) 556-2787. For inquiries about group ticket savings for 10 or more, call the Group Services office at (714) 755-0236. The TTY number is (714) 556-2746.

Ian and Eleanor Carney founded Lightwire Theater and, in conjunction with Corbian Visual Arts and Dance, began pre-production on their first project, The Ugly Duckling and The Tortoise and the Hare, in January 2011. Using Corbian's signature electroluminescent puppetry, Lightwire Theater has adapted these two classic tales for the stage.

Stephen Charles Nicholson, after relocating from New York City to New Orleans for the first Darwin tour (2009), continues his involvement with Corbian Visual Arts and Dance and now Lightwire Theater on The Ugly Duckling and the Tortoise and the Hare.

Segerstrom Center's Education and Community Programs Department offers a variety of programs to students from elementary school through the university level, teachers, arts administrators and individuals who simply want to broaden their own experiences but not in a structure that is strictly academic. These programs achieve two especially important objectives. First, they develop the audiences of the future. Second, they integrate the arts into the standard curriculum and enhance learning, creative thinking, cognitive and social skills. The Education and Community Programs Department works hand-in-hand with a number of boards of education, providing support and assistance to ensure the success and effectiveness of the Center's programs.

The popular Family Series engages, enchants and inspires youngsters with the magic of live performance. International artists combine music, dance and theater that can be enjoyed by the entire family, creating experiences that instill an appreciation for the arts and create lifelong memories. For more information about the Center's education programs, please visit SCFTA.org/education.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts is unique as both an acclaimed arts institution and as a multi-disciplinary cultural campus. It is committed to supporting artistic excellence on all of its stages, offering unsurpassed experiences, and engaging the entire community in new and exciting ways through the unique power of live performance and a diverse array of inspiring programs.

Previously called the Orange County Performing Arts Center, Segerstrom Center is Orange County's largest non-profit arts organization and owns and operates the 3,000-seat Segerstrom Hall and intimate 250-seat Founders Hall, which opened in 1986, and the 2,000-seat Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, which opened in 2006 and also houses the 500-seat Samueli Theater, the Lawrence and Kristina Dodge Education Center's studio performance space and Boeing Education Lab. A spacious arts plaza anchors Segerstrom Center for Arts and is home to numerous free performances throughout the year as part of Segerstrom Center for the Arts' ongoing Free for All series.

The Center presents a broad range of programming for audiences of all ages, including international ballet and dance, national tours of top Broadway shows, intimate performances of jazz and cabaret, contemporary artists, classical music performed by renowned chamber orchestras and ensembles, family-friendly programming, free performances open to the public from outdoor movie screenings to dancing on the plaza and many other special events. The Center's arts-in-education programs are designed to inspire young people through the arts and reach hundreds of thousands of students each year.

In addition to the presenting and producing institution Segerstrom Center for the Arts, the 14-acre campus also embraces the facilities of two independent acclaimed organizations: Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory and a site designated as the future home of the Orange County Museum of Art.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts is also proud to serve as the artistic home to three of the region's major performing arts organizations: Pacific Symphony, the Philharmonic Society of Orange County and the Pacific Chorale, who contribute greatly to the artistic life of the region with annual seasons at Segerstrom Center for the Arts.