Trumpeter Maynard Ferguson and his Big Bop...

Trumpeter Maynard Ferguson and his Big Bop Nouveau Band will launch the Orange County Performing Arts Center’s 1995-96 Jazz Series on Sept. 8, appearing with pianist-composer Peter Delano. The Friday night series continues on Oct. 20 with Cuban-born trumpeter Arturo Sandoval, the Poncho Sanchez Band and saxophonist Eddie Harris. It closes Feb. 2 with vocalist Joe Williams and Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Joe Henderson. Each concert will be preceded by a free talk delivered by Helen Borgers of KLON-FM (88.1). Series tickets, $46-$104, go on sale July 16. (714) 556-2787 or (714) 740-2000 (Ticketmaster).

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“Porgy and Bess,” which closed Sunday at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, drew 16,046 theatergoers, or 92% of capacity, for its six-performance run. That translates to $793,000 at the box office, a center official said Monday, which makes it the best-selling show of the year. The Gershwin opera outpaced “Hello, Dolly!,” which drew 88% earlier this month, he said.

Compiled by Ken Williams