MusicMozart’s Symphony No. 39 is the first...

Music

Mozart’s Symphony No. 39 is the first of the towering three that he composed during six consecutive weeks of his last year on Earth. No one commissioned them, which means no one knows why he wrote them. In those days, composers generally wrote music only when they had prospects of getting it performed. Indeed, Mozart never heard the great three played, but they have become staples in the repertory since his death. Carl St.Clair will conduct the Pacific Symphony in the 39th as part of an outdoor Mozart program Saturday at Irvine Meadows, along with the “Impresario” Overture and the “Coronation” Piano Concerto, with Xiang-DongKong as soloist.

* What: The Pacific Symphony’s “Mozart-in-the-Meadows” program.

* When: Saturday at 8 p.m.

* Where: Irvine Meadows, 8800 Irvine Center Drive.

* Whereabouts: Exit the San Diego (405) Freeway at Irvine Center Drive. Turn left at the end of the ramp if you’re coming from the south, right if you’re coming from the north.

* Wherewithal: $13-$51.

* Where to call: (714) 755-5799.

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Pop

Steely Dan has been making up for lost time: After forsaking the road for studio perfectionism during their ‘70s hit-making prime, mainstays Donald Fagen and Walter Becker have turned into relative road hogs since 1993. A live album last year featured re-creations of catalog nuggets along with solo material from Becker and Fagen. This time through, they are promising to debut some new songs from a Steely Dan studio comeback album in progress. Operating, as always, with a shifting array of supporting players, the Dan will have just two holdover backup musicians from the “Alive in America” tours of ’93 and ’94.

* Who: Steely Dan.

* When: Friday at 8 p.m.

* Where: Irvine Meadows, 8800 Irvine Center Drive.

* Whereabouts: Exit the San Diego (405) Freeway at Irvine Center Drive. Turn left at the end of the ramp if you’re coming from the south, right if you’re coming from the north.

* Wherewithal: $20-$30 (terrace and lawn).

* Where to call: (714) 740-2000 (Ticketmaster); (714) 855-6111 (taped information).

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Theater

Shakespeare Orange County’s production of “Macbeth,” which closes Saturday, brings a ceremonial richness to the Bard’s stark, swift drama. Though it is not a flawless production, the two key ingredients are in place: a confident performance from Carl Reggiardo as the Scottish warrior Macbeth, whose conflicting motives are written all over him; and sterling support from Jenna Cole, a sophisticated actress who brings the smoldering, viperish Lady Macbeth to nuanced life.

* What: “Macbeth.”

* When: 8 p.m. tonight through Saturday.

* Where: Waltmar Theatre, Chapman University, 301 E. Palm Ave., Orange.

* Whereabouts: Exit the Costa Mesa (55) Freeway at Chapman, go west, turn north onto Tustin and west onto Palm.

* Wherewithal: $18-$24.

* Where to call: (714) 744-7016.

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Family Affair

Folks at the Newland House Museum in Huntington Beach invite you to chuck the pager, turn off the Gameboy and join them for an afternoon of free family fun on the rolling lawns behind the 1898 farmouse-turned-historical museum. A Newland House Old-Fashioned Picnic will feature such no-battery entertainments as sack races, lawn tennis, croquet and kite-flying (BYO kite). You can bring your own picnic lunch or get takeout at one of several restaurants or markets nearby (no alcohol, please). The picnic, says spokeswoman Karen Topolewski, is “just a fun way for folks to get back to basics.”

* What: The Newland House Old-Fashioned Picnic.

* When: Sunday, noon-4 p.m.

* Where: The Newland House Museum grounds, 19820 Beach Blvd., Huntington Beach.

* Whereabouts: From the San Diego (405) Freeway, exit at Beach Boulevard and drive south. The museum and grounds are adjacent to the Newland Center strip mall at Beach and Adams.

* Wherewithal: Free.

* Where to call: (714) 962-5777.