SPOTLIGHT

TRIBUTE TO RED SKELTON

“There was only one Red Skelton -- and there will always be only one

Red Skelton,” says Las Vegas entertainer Tom Mullica, who will offer a

one-man tribute on Saturday. “He’s a show business legend.

Mullica, a career magician, met the late Skelton in 1980 and the two became friends. The friendship, Mullica says, probably stemmed in part

from the fact that he had been born the same year as Skelton’s only son,

Richard, who died of leukemia at age 9.

In his show at Orange Coast College, Mullica portrays the comedian and

his well-known stable of characters, including the Mean Widdle Kid,

Freddy the Freeloader and Klem Kadiddlehopper. He ad libs as Skelton

while introducing classic routines, capturing his gawky open-mouthed

laugh with ease.

Skelton, who died in 1997, was famed for his sight gags and

rubber-faced pantomimes.

FYI

Where: Orange Coast College’s Robert B. Moore Theatre, 2701 Fairview

Road, Costa Mesa

When: 8 p.m. Saturday

Cost: $19-$21 in advance, $25 at the door

Call: (714) 432-5880

American strings to play in January

AMERICAN STRING QUARTET

Special guest artist violist Brian Dembow will join the American

String Quartet for a performance Jan. 10 at the Orange County Performing

Arts Center. The quartet will play works by Mozart’s Quintet in B-flat,

K. 174; Bartok’s String Quartet No. 2, Op. 17 and Dvorak’s String Quartet

in E-flat major, Op. 51. This is the quartet’s sixth consecutive season

in its six-season cycle of Mozart quintets and Bartok quartets.

FYI

Where: Orange County Performing Arts Center, Founders Hall, 600 Town

Center Drive, Costa Mesa

When: 7:30 p.m. Jan. 10

Cost: $40

Call: (714) 740-7878

PLANNING AHEAD

ROBERT GOULET

The original Broadway Lancelot (in the musical “Camelot”) will perform

at the Orange County Performing Arts Center.

Saturday, Jan. 12

SUPER BOWL SUNDAY

A 3:15 p.m. kickoff will start the 2002 Super Bowl in New Orleans.

Sunday, January 27

Numerically Speaking

363: Days of 2001 that have passed by. Including today, there are only

2 days left until 2002. Happy New Year.