Show, Biz

The county’s Board of Supervisors recently proclaimed the area around South Coast Plaza the Orange County Theatre District. Costa Mesa had already proclaimed itself the City of the Arts. But what to do when the theaters in the Theatre District are dark--or you’re allergic to “Cats”? (The lease is up on “Rent” at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, and the curtain doesn’t go up at South Coast Repertory until Sept. 4.) For starters, take in sculptures by Mark di Suvero in Town Center Park, tour the Performing Arts Center and chow down at a Broadway-inspired deli.

MORNING, 1 2

A half-dozen gargantuan sculptures by Mark di Suvero dot Town Center Park through Sept. 27, thanks to the Orange County Museum of Art. For the best approach, cross the Unity Bridge, the walkway that connects South Coast Plaza with the park and nearby hotels and office buildings. You can pick up a self-guided Di Suvero walking-tour brochure from the Westin South Coast Plaza (686 Anton Blvd.) concierge. (Docent-led tours depart from the pedestrian bridge at 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.)

The wind activates several of Di Suvero’s steel sculptures; you can give “Olmaia” a spin yourself. “Yoga,” the eastern-most of the art works in more ways than one, is near Diva, the area’s appropriately named eclectic eatery (600 Anton Blvd., [714] 754-0600). Dynamic “Scarlotti,” the largest, may be most dramatic; from its vantage, opposite the Performing Arts Center, it seems to interact with Richard Lippold’s “Firebird” sculpture, which extends from the center facade. You can also get your exercise amid all this culture and commerce; signs along the path measure the track: “6 laps = 1 mile.”

You can learn all about the Orange County Performing Arts Center’s pipe battens and counterweights, the Napoleon red granite out front and the basketball court backstage on free docent-guided tours departing from the box office. Anecdotes and fascinating details about the acoustics pepper the tours.

LUNCH, 3

Jerry’s Famous Deli has been described as “Home Depot for the belly.” The menu offers hundreds of items that seem to have been transplanted lox, knish and pickle barrel from the East Coast. The theater-inspired decor features stage lights, Broadway posters and a catwalk. Long hours make the deli ideal for a late-night snack or dessert.

AFTERNOON 4 5 6

“George Hurrell: Hollywood and Beyond,” on display at the Orange County Museum of Art’s Gallery at South Coast Plaza through Sept. 27, features glamorous black-and-white photographs of stars of the 1930s and ‘40s. Hurrell used lighting and asymmetrical composition to maximize dramatic impact of portraits of luminaries such as Greta Garbo, Gary Cooper, Joan Crawford, Bette Davis and Clark Gable.

The Edwards Cinemas chain shows some art-house fare at its Edwards Town Center four-plex in Costa Mesa, but a better bet for independent and offbeat films is its South Coast Village 3, just over the city line in Santa Ana. You can see shows beginning at or before 5:45 p.m. at either theater for $3.75.

The triplex is near the Costa Mesa Art League’s Showcase Gallery. The league presents members’ traditional art works on a rotating basis. In addition to paintings, there are “funky pots,” wire sculpture and greeting cards, not to mention aprons emblazoned with, “Stand back, I’m having an art attack!”

DINNER,

Looking for art on a plate? Two of the county’s finest French restaurants recently opened in the area. Tim and Lisa Goodell launched Troquet (on South Coast Plaza’s third level, adjacent to Nordstrom, 3333 Bristol St., [714] 708-6865) while their first restaurant, Aubergine in Newport Beach, is renovated. Pinot Provence, which opened last week ([714] 444-5900), extends a family of restaurants that includes Joachim Splichal’s Patina, tops on the Zagat Survey in Los Angeles for seven consecutive years, and a half-dozen bistros. Splichal has named Florent Marneau, Aubergine’s former chef de cuisine, executive chef at Pinot Provence.

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1) Mark di Suvero Sculptures

Town Center Park, Costa Mesa, (949) 759-1122.

Open 24 hours. (Tours 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.)

2) Orange County Performing Arts Center

600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, (714) 556-2121.

Tours 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Monday and Wednesday. (Arrive by 10:15 a.m.)

3) Jerry’s Famous Deli

3210 Park Center Drive, (714) 662-3354.

7 a.m.-midnight Sunday-Thursday, 7 a.m.-3 a.m. Friday-Saturday.

4) Orange County Museum of Art, South Coast Plaza Gallery

3333 S. Bristol St., Suite 1000, Costa Mesa, (714) 662-3366.

10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Sunday. (Tours 1 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.)

5) Edwards Art House Cinemas

South Coast Village, 1561 W. Sunflower Ave., (714) 540-0594.

Show times noon-10:45 p.m.

Town Center, 3199 Park Center Drive, Costa Mesa, (714) 751-4184.

Show times 11:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m.

6) Costa Mesa Art League Showcase Gallery

1631 Sunflower Ave., Santa Ana, (714) 540-6430.

11 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday.

Buses: OCTA bus No. 57 (Santa Ana-Newport Beach) runs along Bristol Street with stops at Sunflower Avenue and Anton Boulevard. Bristol Street-Sunflower Avenue is also served by bus Nos. 53, 53A, 55, 59, 59A, 74, 211, 316, 382 and 479. Anton Boulevard is also served by bus Nos. 55, 59, 59A and 479.

Parking: There is free parking in lots at South Coast Plaza and South Coast Plaza Village. There is paid parking in a structure beside the Orange County Performing Arts Center and validated parking in a structure next to Jerry’s Famous Deli.