Whitney Houston to Open Cerritos Season

Singer and actress Whitney Houston will open the second season of the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts on Aug. 25, beginning a series of events that cover the fields of classical, jazz and pop music and theater and dance events.

Pop concerts after Houston’s, who plays Aug. 25-28, include: Bernadette Peters (Oct. 1), Paul Anka (Nov. 5-6), Natalie Cole (Nov. 11), Joel Grey and Maureen McGovern (March 18-19), the Four Tops and the 5th Dimension (April 8-9), and Bobby McFerrin’s new group Hard Choral (May 7).

The classical season includes the San Francisco Symphony (Oct. 12), Vienna Choir Boys (Jan. 22), Orpheus Chamber Orchestra featuring Radu Lupu (Feb. 2), Moscow Virtuosi (Feb. 9), cellist Mstislav Rostropovich (Feb. 12) and classical guitarist Christopher Parkening (Feb. 18).

Jazz concerts include guitarist George Benson and Dianne Reeves (Sept. 17-18) and George Shearing and Joe Williams (April 16). Fusion performers Bela Fleck & the Flecktones will appear with world-beat artists Strunz & Farah on March 25. Folk musicians Peter, Paul & Mary play Nov. 19-20; country singer Anne Murray appears Feb. 25-26, and Kenny Rogers returns March 9-13.

The dance program includes the American Ballroom Theater (Oct. 15-16), the Garth Fagan Dancers with the Wynton Marsalis Septet (Oct. 21-22), stars of the Bolshoi Ballet (Nov. 1-4), and the Martha Graham Dance Company (Jan. 27-28).

Theater engagements include “Breaking Legs” (Oct. 5-10), with Harry Guardino, Joseph Mascola, Karen Valentine, Gary Sandy and Larry Storch; “Cats” (Oct. 26-31); Hal Holbrook in “Mark Twain” (Feb. 19); Kander & Ebb’s “The World Goes ‘Round” (April 19-24), and the Hollywood spoof “City of Angels” (May 10-15).

For information, call (310) 916-8500 or (800) 300-4345.