Madrigal Dinner

Irvine--A royal wedding will take place in Irvine, and the masses are invited to attend. At this 16th annual madrigal dinner, presented by UC Irvine’s music department, Henry VIII will marry his fourth wife, Anne Cleves.

Back in Henry’s day, music was performed during Yuletide banquets. “That’s what we wanted to create again, the exact type of situation the music was meant to be heard in,” said Joseph Huszti, music professor and director of the event.

“Concerts as we know them, with the musicians and choir on a stage, is not the way it was performed during the Renaissance.”

As well as entertaining the guests, the evenings--Nov. 28 through Dec. 15--are designed to give music students an opportunity to perform the madrigals in the way they were during the 16th Century.

In addition to the musicians and singers, the madrigal dinner includes a court jester, a multicourse feast with modern versions of Renaissance dishes and the wedding. Organizers say they try to present everything as authentically as possible but admit there’s one thing that isn’t accurate.

“After 500 years, the bride will arrive on time,” said Melinda Huszti, who with her husband has helped produce the dinner since its inception.

“Anne was due to arrive before Christmas, but didn’t arrive until January. So, we’re correcting history,” she said, laughing.

At the Irvine event, guests will be heralded as dukes and duchesses and applauded by the servants as they enter the Fine Arts Village Theater. Huszti and the nearly 200 people it takes to hold the event have tried to re-create London’s Westminster Hall, where Henry often held his banquets.

“It’s really a very exciting evening,” Huszti said. “We have people return year after year.”

What: Madrigal dinner.

When: Nov. 28 to Dec. 15. On Nov. 28 and Dec. 4, 5, 11, 12, 14 and 15, dinner begins at 8 p.m. Sunday dinners, Nov. 29 and Dec. 6 and 13, begin at 5 p.m.

Where: Fine Arts Village Theater, UC Irvine.

Whereabouts: Take the San Diego (I-405) Freeway to Jamboree Road and head south. Go east on Campus Drive and take Bridge Road into the campus.

Wherewithal: Tickets are $25 and $38, depending on the seats’ proximity to the royal court. Tickets are available through the Fine Arts Village Theater box office.

Where to call: (714) 856-6616.

Poetry

Laguna Beach--Southland poets Tatyana Melnikoff and Steve Folding are scheduled to read during Sunday evening’s “Degrees of Expression,” Fahrenheit 451’s monthly open poetry recital.

Folding is a Laguna Beach resident whose poetry addresses a range of social issues, including homelessness and recovery.

Melnikoff, a Whittier poet whose work has appeared in a number of literary magazines, recently published “Playground Propaganda,” a journal that features the personal responses of a number of poets to today’s educational system.

Other poets are invited to sign up beginning at 6:30 p.m. The open reading will follow the recital by Melnikoff and Folding.

What: “Degrees of Expression,” open poetry reading.

When: Sunday, Nov. 29, at 7 p.m. Sign-up for the open reading begins at 6:30 p.m.

Where: Fahrenheit 451, 540 S. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach.

Whereabouts: From the San Diego (I-405) Freeway, take the Laguna Canyon Road exit. Head west for several miles, until the road ends at South Coast Highway, then take a left.

Wherewithal: Free.

Where to call: (714) 494-5151.

Holiday Boutique

Cypress--Stocking stuffers, decorations and gifts for the young and young at heart will be on sale Saturday and Sunday at St. Irenaeus Catholic Church’s annual Christmas boutique.

Dozens of local artisans will sell their wares, which include handcrafted tree ornaments, toys and festive fashions. While looking for the perfect gift, shoppers can snack on home-baked brownies, cookies and other goodies. They might even catch a glimpse of Santa Claus, who is expected to visit on both days.

The Christmas boutique is presented by the church’s music ministry to help raise money for the St. Irenaeus singers’ European concert tour next summer.

What: Christmas Boutique.

When: Saturday, Nov. 28, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 29, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Where: St. Irenaeus Church, 5201 Evergreen Ave., Cypress.

Whereabouts: From the Riverside (91) Freeway take the Valley View exit and head south. Turn right on Lincoln Avenue and take another right on Grindlay Street.

Wherewithal: Free.

Where to call: (714) 826-1608.

Art Workshop

Brea--Painter George Labadie will discuss contemporary watercolorists and conduct a demonstration with a live model in the Brea City Council Chambers on Saturday.

Labadie is known for his depiction of human figures, rendered only in pure and transparent watercolors.

The Woodland Hills artist also will share tips and answer questions.

Advance registration is required for the six-hour class.

Workshop participants are also invited to view “Watercolor West,” an exhibit of more than 100 watercolor paintings on view at the City of Brea Art Gallery, in the same complex as Saturday’s class. The exhibit continues through Dec. 18.

What: Watercolor workshop with artist George Labadie.

When: Saturday, Nov. 28, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Where: The City Council Chambers in the Brea Civic and Cultural Center, 1 Civic Center Circle, Brea.

Whereabouts: Take the Orange (57) Freeway to the Imperial Highway exit. Head west on Imperial Highway and make a right on Randolph Street. At Birch Street, take another right. The Brea Civic and Cultural Center will be on the right.

Wherewithal: $15.

Where to call: (714) 990-7730.

Book Signing

Orange--Novelist and screenwriter Joe Gores will sign his recently published mystery, “32 Cadillacs,” and chat with fans Sunday afternoon at the Book Carnival bookstore in Orange.

Gores, whose “A Time of Predators,” won the Edgar Allan Poe Award from the Mystery Writers of America in 1969, is the author of nine novels and one work of nonfiction.

Gores also has written for movies and television. He wrote the screenplay for “Hammett” (1983)and has written episodes of “Kojak,” “Remington Steele,” “Columbo,” “Mike Hammer” and “Magnum, P.I.”

What: Book signing by mystery writer Joe Gores.

When: Sunday, Nov. 29, from 2 to 4 p.m.

Where: Book Carnival, 348 S. Tustin Ave., Orange.

Whereabouts: From the Garden Grove (22) Freeway, take the Tustin Avenue exit. Head north on Tustin Avenue for about one-fourth of a mile. Turn left into the store’s parking lot.

Wherewithal: Free.

Where to call: (714) 538-3210.

Crafts Fair

Huntington Beach--Golden West College is ringing in the holidays with a crafts fair on Monday and Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. It will feature between 15 and 20 vendors of traditional holiday crafts and gifts ranging from 50 cents to $50.

Items include jewelry, dolls, decorative sweat shirts and T-shirts, plush animals, padded photograph albums and country home decorations.

Also in abundance will be Christmas tree ornaments and other holiday crafts including candles, wreaths and centerpieces.

Admission is free.

What: Holiday crafts fair.

When: Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 30, and Dec. 1 from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Where: Golden West College, 15744 Golden West St., Huntington Beach, at the Student Center patio.

Whereabouts: Take the San Diego (I-405) Freeway to the Golden West Street off-ramp. Head south on Golden West Street for about a mile. After passing McFadden Street, turn left onto the campus.

Wherewithal: Free; parking permits are 25 cents.

Where to call: (714) 895-8261.

House Tour

Anaheim--Restoring an old house isn’t quite as simple as it looks on TV, says Andy Deneau. He should know; he’s been working on the 1860 Kuchel-Melrose House for two years, tackling such problems as where you put plumbing when the original family used an outhouse and a well.

Although the restoration won’t be complete until spring, tours will be given Saturday and Sunday to show the public what’s going on. Deneau says before-and-after photos are on display and that the building materials are shown--such as stained glass, special tiles and period wallpaper.

“Restorations take a lot longer than a 90-day start-to-finish new house,” Deneau points out. “You can see what we’ve been doing here.” He also says would-be restorers can learn from the exhibits where to get the building materials to restore a house to its former splendor.

What: Historic House Tour.

When: Saturday, Nov. 28, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 29 from noon to 4 p.m.

Where: 226 E. Adele St., Anaheim.

Whereabouts: Take the Santa Ana (I-5) Freeway to the Lincoln Avenue exit and head east. At Anaheim Boulevard, turn left and then turn right on East Adele Street.

Wherewithal: $10. Call for information about $5 discounts.

Where to call: (714) 999-3464.

Story Reading

Fullerton--Gardens do a body good, says Phylicia Bernstein, who often leads children on tours of the Fullerton Arboretum. On Saturday she’ll read an abridged version of “The Secret Garden,” a tale about a young invalid and his crabby cousin who discover a hidden garden and grow emotionally as they pull the weeds.

The invalid is convinced that he’s dying, the cousin thinks there’s nothing to live for, but the garden turns their worlds around. “Working as a team, all their anger and pain is healed,” explains Bernstein, who says her granddaughter loves the book.

“Adults as well as children can find healing in gardening,” she says. Bernstein says young visitors to the arboretum confirm kids’ fascination with plant life. “I’m amazed at how much the children know,” she says. “They’re always growing stuff at school.”

Bernstein will bring packets of seeds and little planters for young gardeners; the cost will be $1 for the kits. The reading will take about 20 minutes and will be followed by discussion and demonstration of the planting kits.

What: Book Reading.

When: Saturday, Nov. 28, at 10:30 a.m.

Where: Fullerton Arboretum, 1900 Associated Road.

Whereabouts: Take the Orange (57) Freeway north to Yorba Linda Boulevard and head west. At Associated Road turn left.

Wherewithal: Free.

Where to call: (714) 773-3579.

Art Show

Irvine--Madonna may seem outrageous, but she wasn’t the first to shock audiences. In the late 19th Century, Sarah Bernhardt stunned people around the world with her witty and exotic stage shows--singing and acting in performances written for her by admiring artists.

Like Madonna, she created her own image--designing her costumes, writing her biography and promoting herself.

Drawings and sculpture created by Bernhardt are on display at the Severin Wunderman Museum in Irvine, and are joined by photos, paintings and books about her--part of the “Sarah Bernhardt--Artist and Icon” exhibit. “It was so phenomenal for a woman in her day to do what she did,” said Mary Crost, who works at the museum.

What: Sarah Bernhardt Art Show.

When: Through Dec. 23., 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Where: Severin Wunderman Museum, 3 Mason, Irvine.

Whereabouts: Take the Santa Ana (I-5) Freeway to the Alton Parkway exit and head east. Turn right on Muirlands Boulevard and then right on Mason.

Wherewithal: $2 donation requested for adults; $1 for children, seniors.

Where to call: (714) 472-1138.

Toy Sale

Buena Park--Shoppers looking for something different to give the kids this holiday season might find it at George Zaninovich’s Toy Show and Sale on Sunday at the Sequoia Athletic Club.

More than 5,000 antique and collectible toys, manufactured from the turn of the century to the 1980s, will be available for purchase.

Toys for sale include tin wind-ups, Hot Wheels cars, electric trains, model kits, G.I. Joe dolls and space toys.

About 700 to 900 people are expected to attend the show.

What: George Zaninovich’s Toy Show and Sale.

When: Sunday, Nov. 29, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Where: Sequoia Athletic Club, 7530 Orangethorpe Ave., Buena Park.

Whereabouts: From the Artesia (91) Freeway, take the Beach Boulevard exit and head north. Turn left on Orangethorpe Avenue.

Wherewithal: $3.50; $3 for children under 12 and seniors.

Where to call: (310) 832-2282.

Harvest Festival

Anaheim--The Harvest Festival, an arts and crafts marketplace that travels throughout the western states every fall, concludes its Orange County tour with a stop at the convention center this weekend.

More than 400 artisans and craftspeople from throughout the country will sell their handmade original wares, which include woodcarvings, jewelry, hand-painted clothing, leather crafts, handblown and etched glassware, pottery and furniture.

Entertainment will include Igor’s Cowboy Jazz band, the Jackstraws, puppeteer Jim Gamble and illusionists Abra and Kadabra. Those attending are asked to bring a can of food for donation to the Food Distribution Center in Orange County. For every can of food donated, the Harvest Festival will send a cash contribution to the Second Harvest food bank network.

What: Anaheim Harvest Festival.

When: Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 27, 28 and 29, Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Where: Anaheim Convention Center, 800 W. Katella Ave., Anaheim.

Whereabouts: Take the Santa Ana (I-5) Freeway to the Katella Avenue exit and go west. Proceed past Harbor Boulevard. The convention center will be on the left.

Wherewithal: Adults, $6; seniors, $5; children 6 to 12 years, $3.

Where to call: (714) 999-8950.