Pendry Newport Beach Serves Up Thanksgiving Events

Pendry Newport Beach is rolling out a full lineup of Thanksgiving dining and events, from a chef-driven benefit for a local food bank to Friendsgiving festivities and Thanksgiving Day meals at its signature restaurants and bar.

Chefsgiving
Nov. 13 | 6 to 9:30 p.m.
Orange County chefs come together for a one-night Thanksgiving celebration benefiting Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County. Guests can sample signature Thanksgiving dishes at chef-attended action stations, along with wine and live entertainment. Elwood VIP access runs from 6 to 6:30 p.m., followed by general admission from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $150 per person, and 100% of proceeds benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County. Reserve here. 

Friendsgiving at SET Steak & Sushi
Nov. 25 | 5 to 10 p.m.
Kick off the holiday weekend with a DJ spinning from 6 to 10 p.m. The night centers on JT’s Korean Style Fried Turkey, served all evening with shareable sides made for a table of friends. The turkey is $55 per person, exclusive of tax. Service charge is included. Reservations are recommended here, and walk-ins are welcome.

Thanksgiving at SET Steak & Sushi
Nov. 26 | 4 to 9 p.m.
Gather on Thanksgiving Day for seasonal specials alongside the restaurant’s signature steak and sushi pairing. The relaxed, open-all-afternoon setup makes it easy to build the holiday around your own schedule. Reservations are recommended here, and walk-ins are welcome.

Thanksgiving at Bar Pendry
Nov. 26 | 3 to 10 p.m.
Bar Pendry keeps its regular menu going on Thanksgiving Day and adds an à la carte turkey plate starting at 3 p.m. It’s an easy option for anyone wanting a taste of the holiday without a formal sit-down meal, set in the bar’s cocktail-forward atmosphere. Come for the turkey, stay for the evening. No reservations required, and walk-ins are welcome.

690 Newport Center Dr, Newport Beach.

Irvine Barclay Theatre Offers Free Tickets to Veterans

Veterans Day is Wednesday, Nov. 11, and if you are a veteran or know one, here is a great chance to enjoy world-class entertainment in Orange County. Irvine Barclay Theatre offers free tickets to veterans through Vet Tix.

The City of Irvine provides funding specifically for the program, which makes the free tickets possible. Veterans can create a free account at Vet Tix to request tickets to Barclay performances throughout the year.

Irvine Barclay Theatre is Orange County’s boutique theater experience, known for its intimate atmosphere and superb acoustics. Since opening in 1990, the 750-seat venue has grown into one of California’s most imaginative performing arts showcases. Over the past 36 years, it has welcomed more than 3 million patrons to a wide variety of performances by internationally recognized artists.

Irvine Barclay Theatre is located at 4242 Campus Drive, Irvine, California 92612 adjacent to UC Irvine. 

For tickets or more information, please visit thebarclay.org or call (949) 854-4646.

All Aboard: ‘Water for Elephants’ Rolls Into Costa Mesa

The circus is coming to Orange County. Segerstrom Center for the Arts will host the North American tour of the Broadway musical “Water for Elephants” in Segerstrom Hall from Nov. 10-22, with just 16 performances.

Based on Sara Gruen’s bestselling novel, the show follows a young man who loses everything, jumps a moving train and finds a new home with a traveling circus. Told through the eyes of his older self, it’s a love story and a reminder that life can begin again at any age.

The production arrives with serious credentials. The book is by four-time Tony Award nominee Rick Elice (“Jersey Boys,” “Peter and the Starcatcher”), with a score by PigPen Theatre Co. The Broadway run won Drama Desk Awards for direction, sound design, fight choreography and puppetry, plus an Outer Critics Circle Award and the Chita Rivera Award for choreography. Ryan Emmons directs the tour, recreating the original staging by Tony nominee Jessica Stone.

Performances are Tuesday through Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at 1 and 6:30 p.m. The show runs 2 hours and 20 minutes, including one intermission. Tickets start at $39 and are available online at scfta.org or by phone at 714-556-2787, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

The box office at 600 Town Center Drive is open Monday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Tuesday through Friday from noon to 5 p.m. It is closed weekends. Groups can call 714-755-0236.

Segerstrom Center is the only official ticket outlet for its performances, so tickets bought through a broker or third party can’t be replaced if lost or stolen.

Photo by Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade.jpg