A free panel discussion of “Cultural and...

A free panel discussion of “Cultural and Civic Life in Orange County” will take place Nov. 29 at the Newport Beach Central Library, 1000 Avocado Ave., Newport Beach. The panel--Rob Elliott, vice president of urban planning and design for the Irvine Co.; Anne Friedberg, associate professor of film at UC Irvine; Mark Poster, professor of history at UC Irvine; Bonnie Brittain Hall, executive director, Arts Orange County, and moderated by Will Swain, publisher of O.C. Weekly--will talk about such issues as the function and significance of art and culture in public life, cultural production and regulation, and the role of the media in the cultural arena. The program is being sponsored by Newport Beach Arts and Cultural Services and the Getty Center for the History of Arts and the Humanities. (714) 644-3150.

Paid attendance during the five performances by the Dance Theatre of Harlem at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa was 9,804, or 67% of capacity, according to a center spokesman. The attendance was up from recent dance engagements, by the Miami City Ballet, the Pacific Northwest Ballet and the Royal Danish Ballet, which ranged from 50 to 55% of capacity. The DTH performances grossed about $410,948.

Compiled by Kenneth Williams