Greer's OC

As the world continues to adjust and adapt to the effects of the coronavirus outbreak, including practicing social distancing, the in-person connections will be few and far between for a while. Until travel restrictions are eased and more normal operations can resume, Travel Costa Mesa and other local attractions have created content and virtual “armchair” experiences to stay engaged with those at home doing their part to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

The Pacific Symphony put together free digital content featuring members of the symphony playing live from their quarantine location, and never-before-seen concert highlights from the 2019-20 season. Additionally, Pacific Symphony recently announced its 2020-21 Pops Concert season with a video montage featuring music by David Foster, Boz Skaggs, ABBA, and from Broadway shows.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts can’t open its theaters for Broadway musicals, the ballet, symphony and other musical events just yet, so they created Center at Home, featuring free online dance lessons, acting classes and streaming performance highlights from popular Broadway musicals like Frozen and Ain’t too Proud.  A full montage of the planned 2020-21 Broadway season can be viewed online.

South Coast Repertory is Costa Mesa’s premier Tony Award®-winning resident theater, and recently announced its 2020-21 season of plays to look forward to. Until shows can be attended in person, the theater’s artistic director is hosting weekly interviews called “At Home with Ivers” and has spoken to Pacific Symphony conductor, Carl St. Clair, and actress Aimee Brenneman, to name a few.

The Philharmonic Society of Orange County is offering live-stream concerts and videos and includes new daily performances with different selections every hour – some from the living rooms of the artists, and others from previous concerts at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center.

Orange County Museum of Art is offering virtual experiences of video discussions with artists, screenings of films featured in the Newport Beach Film Festival and haiku readings by local writers – all intended to provide relaxation, learning opportunities and ways to open one’s mind to various cultural experiences.

Culinary Experiences-- Learn to cook from Top Chef alum Amar Santana of Costa Mesa’s Vaca and The Food Hall – A Global Eatery. From 10-minute fried chicken to charcuterie boards, he’ll share his recipes and offer tips and tricks to show off your skills – once you can host dinner parties again.

Host a wine tasting event with your friends, including Chef Mark McDonald and Sommelier Kate Perry of Old Vine Kitchen & Bar. For $99 per household, guests will pick up four pre-selected bottles of wine, and over a one-hour Zoom call, will be taken through a wine tasting with notes and conversation on parings. Old Vine’s bar manager Mitch is also slinging cocktails on Instagram offering his perfected recipes for popular drinks.