IN THE ARTS

Jazz show will be at Hotel Laguna

Laguna Beach Live! Will present premiere jazz trombonist Dan Barrett and his Blue Swing Quartet at the Hotel Laguna from 6 to 8 p.m. July 23. The Quartet also features Chris Dawson on piano, Hal Smith on drums and Dave Stone on bass.

In 1996, Barrett took part in a European tour by Woody Allen’s Jazz Band and is featured in the movie made about that tour, “Wild Man Blues.”

Jazz Wednesdays are in the outdoor Rose Garden of the Hotel Laguna, 425 S. Coast Hwy. Cover charge is $10 and an outstanding selection of drinks and food is available for purchase. Doors open at 5:15 p.m.; reservations for groups of eight or more can be made by calling (949) 715-9713. For more information, visit www.lagunabeachlive.org.

Every day is ‘resident day’ at Art-A-Fair

The Art-A-Fair has announced “All Free, All the Time” admission for Laguna Beach residents, and invites locals to view artwork created by 125 exhibitors at no charge. Residents may present a photo ID at the ticket booth and receive a complimentary ticket, which also serves as a season pass.

Also, every day from 5 to 6 p.m. Tivoli Too’s margaritas are priced at two-for-one to celebrate Happy Hour.

New this year is “Through Artists’ Eyes “” Unique Perspectives Created by Exhibiting Artists” every Friday from noon to 3 p.m. Working from the same model, several artists create works of art in their particular style and medium. This gives visitors a real sense of the process and artist interpretation.

Non-residents can download a half-off coupon from the Art-A-Fair website, www.art-a-fair.com. Regular prices are $3.50 to $7. Complete schedules for entertainment and workshops can be found online at www.art-a-fair.com.

Playhouse has ‘locals’ pricing on Sundays

To show its appreciation for the longtime support of the community of Laguna Beach, Laguna Playhouse is offering special “Laguna Locals” discounts to the Sunday matinee performances of its summertime musical, “The Marvelous Wonderettes,” which runs July 8 through Aug. 31.

Anyone working or living in Laguna Beach can receive $10 off the price of Sunday matinee tickets. Proof of residency or employment in Laguna Beach is required to receive the $10 discount. Tickets must be purchased in person at the box office, with a maximum of two tickets per valid ID. This cannot be combined with any other offer.

For more information, call the box office at (949) 497-2787, ext. 1, or log on to www.lagunaplay house.com.

Leonard Kaplan tribute evening set

The friends, acquaintances, and family of Leonard Kaplan are invited to Laguna Art Museum to see a few works of his art, hear about his life, and toast to his memory at 6 p.m. Aug. 20.

Kaplan, one of the last artists to have worked in Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Works Project Administration, died April 15 following complications from a fall he took in his Laguna Beach home several months earlier. He was 86.

Kaplan was best known in recent years for obsessively wrought, fantasy-based mixed media collages crafted from 18th and 19th century prints that remained unsold in his legendary Laguna Beach antiques shop, Ancient Arts.

A retrospective of his work, titled “Waking Dreams,” was mounted at the Laguna Beach Museum of Art in 2003. Kaplan’s oral biography is archived in the Smithsonian Institute’s Archive of American Artists.

For more information about the tribute, contact Adam Kaplan at [email protected].

Dance Festival tickets on sale Saturday

Jodie Gates, founder and artistic director of Laguna Dance Festival, has announced the 2008 season of Laguna Dance Festival, including performances, classes, and pre-performance talks. The Festival, now in its fourth year, will continue the tradition of bringing varied companies, choreographers, and styles to Laguna Beach from Sept. 20 to Oct. 4.

Performances are slated for Sept. 25 to 27, with a matinee Sept. 28. All performances will take place at the Artists’ Theatre.

The Stars of Dance performance on Sept. 27 will be followed by a Dinner with Dancers at the sculpture garden of Dawson Cole Fine Art in Laguna Beach.

Beginning Saturday, tickets will be available online at www.lagunadance festival.com or by phone at (800) 595-4849 at $35 for students, $45 for seniors, and $50 general admission.

All tickets for the Saturday performance are $50. For more information, patrons may call (949) 715-5578.

“I am confident that this year’s curation of artists for performances and educational opportunities is stylishly unique, delightful and daring,” said Gates. “We are introducing two major junior companies in one evening, a west coast premiere of a hot new nationally recognized company, Trey McIntrye Project, and bringing together the absolute best dancers in the nation to perform together on the Laguna Dance Festival stage.”

This is the third season for the dance festival, founded by Gates after she moved to Laguna Beach in 2004.