‘Lion King’ is pride of OCPAC

In a year marked by construction milestones and future scheduling

announcements, one time-tested musical ruled the kingdom at the

Orange County Performing Arts Center.

The Orange County premiere of Disney’s “The Lion King” brought

nearly 150,000 people to Segerstrom Hall during an unprecedented

six-week spring run.

Nineteen truckloads of costumes, sets and props, hundreds of crew

members, 700 lighting instruments and 48 cast members came to Costa

Mesa for the colorful performance.

Nearly every show was sold out. “The Lion King” accounted for more

than 1/4 of the arts center’s total audience in the 2004-05 season.

“The most significant thing was the number of people who came to

the center, many possibly for the first time,” said Judith O’Dea

Morr, the arts center’s interim president. “The performances, the

scenery, everything about it was of extraordinary quality.”

It was a time for reflection Tuesday, as those involved in the

arts center’s operations joined its members for the annual meeting in

Founders Hall.

Preliminary financial totals showed that for the 19th consecutive fiscal year, which ended on June 30, the arts center ended up in the

black.

Largely due to private contributions, the arts center will be able

this year to donate its earnings -- about $359,000 -- to its artistic

partners. Orange County’s Pacific Symphony, Opera Pacific, the

Philharmonic Society of Orange County and Pacific Chorale all perform

at the arts center.

“When you look at the center’s long-term strategy, our partners

are key,” said Paul Folino, outgoing president of the board of

directors. “If there is a way we can help them support their mission,

we want to do that.”

In the past year, ticket totals topped $22 million, a new arts

center record. Total earned income was $31,814,560, and contributed

income to the Center Fund reached a new high of $8,720,743.

The number of assembly performances and hands-on workshops also

increased, according to numbers released Tuesday.

In all, more than 500,000 people attended public performances at

the arts center this past year.

Performance space will more than double in September 2006, when

the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall and Samueli Theater are

scheduled to open. Construction is about 60% complete on the new

facilities, and glass panels will be installed on the concert hall

beginning next month.

“All of the sudden, it will look like a building that’s ready to

move into,” Morr said.

She added that the arts center’s Building on the Vision Campaign

has been “a dominant feature in our thinking” for the past year.

About $130 million has been raised toward the campaign’s $200-million

target, Morr said.

Marring the construction progress was the death of Jorge Bazan, a

48-year-old subcontractor killed in early July when he fell 80 feet

at the new building site.

Performing arts center employees and board members are

contributing to a memorial fund, Morr said. A Cal/OSHA workplace

safety report is pending.

In April, the arts center announced the bill for its inaugural

year in the new performance halls, including a gala concert by

Pacific Symphony featuring Placido Domingo that kicks off the 20th

anniversary celebration.

It was also a year of high-profile personnel changes. After eight

years as president and chief executive officer, Jerry Mandel stepped

down as president to become the vice chairman of the board of

directors. Morr assumed Mandel’s position.

Paul Folino also ended his run as board president, choosing to

remain involved in the board’s capital campaign committee. Michael

Gordon, chairman of StoneCreek Capital in Irvine, was unanimously

selected Tuesday by the board to replace Folino.

“It will be a transparent change,” Folino said. “They [the new

officers] have the inside knowledge needed to take us forward.”

* ELIA POWERS is the enterprise and general assignment reporter.

He may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or by e-mail at

[email protected].