Newport Beach Police Volunteers Build Important Bridge to the Community
By Richard Simon | NB Indy
As a group, they visit and inspect more homes in more neighborhoods on a typical day than Newport’s busiest realtors.
Although there are sparse supporting statistics, these teams of two might very well be responsible for stopping more home burglaries than a stay-at-home Chihuahua with a megaphone bark and a Police Dog complex.
They’re the uniformed Volunteers of the Newport Beach Police Department: 12 women
and 10 men, with four potential members currently undergoing background checks. They each pledge at least 16 hours a month to patrolling the breadth of the city “so that the NBPD can allocate resources more efficiently,” shared Heather Rangel, the PD’s Crime Prevention Specialist who oversees the volunteer program.
The purpose of the program is multifaceted, explained Rangel: “To enhance community engagement, support law enforcement efforts,
Newport Beach City Manager Update
By Grace Leung, Newport Beach City Manager
It is my honor to congratulate the Newport Beach Fire Department for earning a prestigious recognition from the Insurance Services Office, a classification shared by only about one percent of the top fire departments nationwide.
This is an extraordinary accomplishment that reflects the NBFD’s dedication to the highest level of fire protection and commitment to the safety and well-being of Newport Beach residents.
The ISO informed the City this week that
and foster positive relationships between the Department and the community.”
Their responsibilities and assignments include conducting home vacation checks, distributing crime alerts, various in-house administrative functions, assisting in the property division (a basement room where a broad range of evidence and seizures are stored until deemed disposable), as well as helping at special events.
One of the PD’s greatest crime prevention tools is communications, and the volunteers excel in that effort, not only by patrolling in their specially assigned and marked SUVs, but by conspicuously assisting at the department’s year-‘round community events, such as National Night Out (a country-wide police appreciation event that highlights the full capabilities and services of the department), Open House tours, and the well-received Mobile Café, where the community gathers at various venues throughout the city to meet one-on-one the officers who serve — and where attendees can be served that historically cliched law enforcement “fuel,” coffee and donuts.
This coming August, NBPD Volunteer Sandy Meadows will have donated 25 years and nearly 12,000 hours to the program — a virtual “career” of volunteerism, having graduated from the first NBPD Citizens’ Police Academy (CPA) in 1999.
VOLUNTEERS
Page 8
the NBFD has earned a Class 1 rating under its national Public Protection Classification program, which recognizes excellence among fire service agencies. The ISO is a rating and analytics organization for the property insurance industry, which uses the PPC to help set insurance rates.
The comprehensive assessment evaluates fire departments in such areas as water systems, communications, staffing, deployment, equipment, response times, training, public education, prevention, fire investigations and more. As an advisor to the insurance industry,
CITY MANAGER Page 6
By NB Indy Staff
A residential burglary recently occurred in the Los Trancos Community between approximately 12:45 p.m. on January 20 and 2 p.m. on January 21, 2024
While the victim was away, an unknown suspect accessed the backyard of the property from the hillside behind the home and climbed to the second story terrace. The suspect shattered a window to get inside the master closet.
The suspect rummaged through the master bedroom, master bathroom, master closet and gym. In a closet, the suspect located a safe. Using various tools, the suspect forcibly removed the safe from the wall and broke into the safe before fleeing the scene in an unknown direction.
The Newport Beach Police Department advises residents that if they see suspicious activity within your neighborhood (especially at a home where you know your neighbors are on vacation, have gone out for the evening, or their home is for sale), please call the Newport Beach Police Department immediately at (949) 644-3717.
The Newport Beach Police Department has security tips for residents:
• Always lock your windows and doors when you go out, even if for only a few minutes. Second story windows and doors should be secured as if they were on the first story.
• Use timers on indoor lamps to give the ap-
With Valentine’s Day around the corner, what are your plans? Do you prefer to stay in with your significant other or go out?
Stay In
Go Out
Where Professionalism Meets Personal Touch in Real Estate
“Carol is incredible! First of all she is amazing to work with. She is accessible, warm, friendly and gets the job done. ...There are not enough stars to give Carol Lee!”
- Buyer & Seller
Newport Beach Police Volunteers Joel Gerson and Sandy Meadows / Photo by Richard Simon
BURGLARY
Grace Leung, Newport Beach City Manager
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CHARITY SPOTLIGHT
Women of Chapman’s Annual ‘Christmas at The Ritz’ Fundraiser Chaired by Newport Local
Nets $300,000 for Chapman University
By NB Indy Staff
Women of Chapman, a 53-year-old Chapman University support group, celebrated the 37th anniversary of its famed “Christmas at The Ritz” holiday luncheon at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023.
Why Christmas at the Ritz? The group originally held its annual event at the Ritz Restaurant, a beloved old-school dining hotspot in Fashion Island that lasted more than three decades before closing in 2014.
After The Ritz closed, Women of Chapman held their event at other Newport Beach locations, including
the Island Hotel (now the Pendry). In 2023, the group left Newport Beach but managed to keep the Ritz Restaurant name alive by moving to the Ritz Carlton.
The gregarious 280-member crowd was in high spirits in the pre-reception as they enjoyed greetings from a jolly Santa Claus, a quartet of Dickens Carolers, a champagne and martini cocktail reception, and real-life toy soldiers.
For the menu, tradition took center stage. The luncheon began with the signature Ritz Egg as the opening course, perhaps the most famous dish on the menu at the old Ritz Restaurant.
Traditional Wild Mushroom Cappuccino Soup followed, and then Braised Short Ribs and Chilean Sea Bass.
The ballroom was awash in festive red linens decorated with the event’s signature nutcrackers and fresh pine greenery with red and gold accents shimmering. The signature hristmas at The Ritz” wreath, always on the invitations and programs, was the main focus hanging in front of a beautiful red velvet backdrop, along with shimmering gold and silver trees gracing the stage.
Event Chair Lisa Hallaian, a Newport Beach wealth advisor, thanked
her 35-member committee for helping make the benefit so successful.
The effort netted nearly $300,000 for Chapman. The 220-member group has raised more than $9.75 million through Christmas at The Rit” and is completing a $1 million pledge to the Keck Center for Science and Engineering and to the Harry & Diane Rinker Health Science Campus, plus a $1 million dollar pledge to the group’s Student Assistance Fund.
Major underwriters include Grand Patrons ($25,000) Julia & George Argyros of Newport Beach and Sally Segerstrom.
• ROOFING REPLACEMENTS/REPAIRS
• BALCONY DECK STRUCTURAL RECONSTRUCTION
• ROOFING WATERPROOFING
• EXTENSIVE DRY ROT/TERMITE REPAIRS
• SHEET METAL FOR HARSH COASTAL ENVIRONMENTS
• IN DEPTH SPECIFICATION/STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING
• INTERIOR DAMAGE REPAIRS
• BALCONY RAIL SYSTEM DESIGNS/GLASS/CABLE
• PROFESSIONAL PAINTING SERVICES
• DOOR & WINDOW REPLACEMENT
• STUCCO/PLASTER RECONSTRUCTION
• RAIN GUTTERS/CHIMNEY CAPS
• SKYLIGHTS/ATTIC VENTING SYSTEMS
Left to right: WOC member Sue Grant, a resident of Newport Beach, and Event Chair Lisa Hallaian, a wealth advisor in Newport Beach / photo by Tony Lattimore; Underwriters Greg and
Donna Hood / photo by Tony Lattimore; Underwriters Sally Crockett and Leslie and Dino Cancellieri / photo by Tony Lattimore; Underwriter Suki McCardle with her guest Terry Schreyer / photo by Tony Lattimore
Newport Theatre Arts Center Stages Stellar Production of ‘Other Desert Cities’ STEPPING OUT
By Eric
Marchese | Special
to the NB Indy
Jon Robin Baitz’s “Other Desert Cities,” a 2011 drama rarely seen in Southern California since a Long Beach staging in the mid-2010s, joins countless utterly compelling portraits of fictional families in disarray, turmoil or outright dysfunction.
Lovers of great theater will applaud Newport Theatre Arts Center’s stellar production, likely discussing, analyzing and debating the play’s issues days
EDITORIAL
after seeing it.
This compact drama is peppered with laughs but undergirded with a bedrock of one family’s conflicts –unresolved and otherwise – that block hidden truths from coming to light and being resolved.
Carl daSilva’s masterful direction brings the considerable strengths of Baitz’s script to the fore at NTAC. The capstone is his flawless quintet of actors, whose work couldn’t be improved upon. The result is an ex-
EDITOR Christopher Trela christopher@newportbeachindy.com
DESIGN/PRODUCTION
CREATIVE & MARKETING DIRECTOR Tracy Powell
ceptionally compelling play that’s also a tremendously entertaining production.
The story unfolds in 2004 during the Iraq War, a backdrop that exacerbates the Wyeth family’s already pronounced political differences.
When the Wyeths gather at the secluded Palm Springs home of Lyman and Polly Wyeth (Jeff Paul and Linda Sutera) on Christmas Eve of 2004, years fraught with tension come to a head.
ADVERTISING
Carol Josepher, Chris Mattingley, Dawn Lindeman , Mara Hertel
PRODUCTION MANAGER Tina Leydecker tina@firebrandmediainc.com
ADVERTISING & CIRCULATION:
Daughter Brooke (Kendall Sinclair) opposes her parents’ right-wing stances with her aunt, Polly’s sister Silda (Alli Maier), allying with her while battling chronic alcoholism. While her younger brother Trip (Ben Green) would prefer neutrality, sister and parents implore him to get into the fray.
At issue is Brooke’s effort to uncover “what really happened” to her beloved older brother Henry, who during the ’70s joined the antiwar movement and wound up partaking of the bombing of a Southern California military recruitment center that caused a death.
Unlike Brooke’s first book, a hit novel, her new exposé reveals the family’s most painful chapter. She has never forgiven Lyman and Polly for refusing Henry’s requests for help, and now she wants the world to know the details.
Brooke gives the family advance copies to read and weigh in on – but she also wants her parents’ sanction, as The New Yorker magazine is poised to publish chapters in advance of the book’s impending publication.
Lyman and Polly fear the book will destroy their deep, longstanding GOP connections and alienate their political pals, and they’re outraged their own daughter would even commit such a painful tale to print. Intense conflict has bloomed into an all-out crisis.
Baitz posits whether Brooke is
PUBLISHER
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Steve Zepezauer
PRESIDENT OF SALES & MARKETING Scott Sanchez
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Tiffany Thompson
INDY LETTER POLICY
Please limit topics to local concerns, and try to keep to 500 words or less. Letters may be edited for clarity, length, or appropriateness; we reserve the right to not run a letter. Please supply name and contact info, although only name and city will be printed. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Firebrand Media or its employees.
Kendall Sinclair, Ben Green, Linda Sutera, Jeff Paul / photo by Sarah Whitwell
South Coast Plaza Celebrates Lunar New Year and Year of the Dragon Feb. 8-25
By NB Indy Staff
South Coast Plaza ushers in Lunar New Year February 8 through 25 with a celebration filled with extraordinary gifts, special menus at South Coast Plaza restaurants, Lunar New Year-themed merchandise, children’s lantern crafts, boutique events and activities, and a spectacular Year of the Dragon display.
Now in its 12th year, South Coast Plaza’s 19-day Lunar New Year festivities are the largest and most extensive of any retail center on the West Coast, drawing visitors from all over California.
“South Coast Plaza continues to be at the forefront of Lunar New Year celebrations on the West Coast by providing the best in exclusive and culturally relevant experiences,” said Debra Gunn Downing, Executive Director, Marketing at South Coast Plaza.
“From limited-edition products from our boutiques and specially created menus by world-class chefs at select restaurants to our spectacular centerpiece, South Coast Plaza is the must-visit destination for the Year of the Dragon.”
As part of an annual tradition at South Coast Plaza, a dramatic Lunar New Year centerpiece will be on display in Jewel Court beginning February 8. The centerpiece will depict a large dragon, symbolizing power, nobility, honor, luck, and success. It will hold a pearl symbolizing wisdom, spiritual energy, and power. The dragon will appear to come to life, breathing water to yield a bountiful harvest, while eight holographic dragons will fly above Jewel Court.
Eight more dragons will soar inside and outside of South Coast Plaza, heralding an auspicious year. Powerful dragons will be displayed above the Bridge of Gardens and Garden Terrace amid a colorful lantern display and a stroll from Jewel Court toward Carousel Court will reveal another dragon above the enchanting fountain.
Visitors to South Coast Plaza will have many opportunities to celebrate Lunar New Year.
SOUTH COAST PLAZA LUNAR NEW YEAR HIGHLIGHTS
• Gift with Purchase (Feb. 8-while supplies last): With a minimum of $3,500 in sameday purchases from any combination of South Coast Plaza boutiques and restaurants, guests will receive a Rising Dragon vase crafted by LIULI Crystal Art. Gift is redeemable at a designated redemption area found on Level Two at Jewel Court.
• Enter-to-Win Extravaganza (Feb. 8-25): South Coast Plaza’s annual Enter-toWin contest features an opportunity to win a South Coast Plaza $800 gift card, luxury prizes from South Coast Plaza boutiques and restaurants, and other gifts.
• Specialty Products and Displays (Ongoing): Many South Coast Plaza boutiques will celebrate The Year of the Dragon with special window and in-store displays, and by offering limited-edition items, capsule collections, unique events, and themed products to celebrate the Year of the
Dragon and Lunar New Year. Many brands will offer celebratory red envelopes to select customers.
• Special Menus and Treats (Various dates): Select South Coast Plaza restaurants including Knife Pleat, Din Tai Fung, Paradise Dynasty, Terrace by Mix Mix, Mian, AnQi Bistro, Tableau, and Water Grill will celebrate Lunar New Year with special menus, while confectioners and bakeries
offer an assortment of treats, some with festive Year of the Dragon gift packaging.
• UnionPay Program (Feb. 8-25): When guests spend more than $3,500 in combined sales at all participating South Coast Plaza retailers and restaurants (not including department stores) using their UnionPay card, they will receive a $200 South Coast Plaza gift card. Receipts can be presented at any of South Coast Plaza’s four
Concierge locations.
• Children’s Crafts (Saturday and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. on Feb. 10-11, Feb. 17-18, and Feb. 24-25): Children are invited to assemble colorful and whimsical Year of the Dragon paper lanterns (on sale for $8 each while supplies last) at a craft station in
BY Murray Horwitz
LUNAR NEW YEAR Page 6
City Manager
PAGE 1
the ISO looks closely at departments’ fire mitigation efforts to help predict future fire losses.
The Class 1 recognition places Newport Beach in an elite category, with only 1.3 percent of fire departments nationwide achieving this status. Of the 38,195 fire departments evaluated by ISO nationally, only 498 have attained this distinguished honor. In California, where 854 fire departments were evaluated, only 45 have received the Class I designation. Newport Beach is one of three departments in Orange County to be recognized as a Class 1 department.
Newport Beach residents may see more competitive insurance rates from the NBFD’s Class 1 rating. Insurance companies use PPC information to establish fire insurance premiums, and may offer lower rates in communities that demonstrate superior fire service capabilities.
I’d like to recognize our entire Fire Department team, under the leadership of Fire Chief Jeff Boyles, for this tremendous accomplishment. I’d also like to acknowledge those who worked for nearly two years to achieve the Class 1 rating: Fire Marshal James Gillespie, Battalion Chief Nick Stocks, Battalion Chief Phil Puhek, Captain Ty Lunde and Captain Cameron Hutzler.
BE DISASTER READY: JOIN A CERT CLASS THIS SPRING
The Newport Beach Fire Department is
offering two sessions this spring for the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program, which trains residents on how to help themselves, their families and their neighborhoods following a disaster.
The CERT program is free to Newport Beach residents and those employed in Newport Beach.
The first session will begin March 5, and the second session will begin April 23. Join us to gain knowledge and hands-on experience in disaster preparedness, first aid, search and rescue, fire suppression and much more.
For more information and to sign up, please visit www.nbcert.org.
Peninsula Volleyball Courts to Return Following Sand Replenishment
The City will reinstall several beach volleyball courts between 46th and 62nd streets that had been lost due to sand erosion.
The recent sand replenishment project led by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers has provided enough usable beach space to bring four courts back into service.
In the next few weeks, these courts will be reinstalled in approved locations, providing the public with more opportunities to play sand volleyball.
NEW LANDSCAPING AT NEWPORT COAST FIRE STATION USES ‘FIRE SMART’ APPROACH
The City recently installed a “fire smart” landscaping demonstration project at Fire Station No. 8, 6502 Ridge Rd., in Newport Coast, to encourage similar projects in
neighborhoods with high fire risks.
The new landscaping uses decomposed granite, boulders and low-level plant material to create a beautiful and functional landscape that provides a buffer, or “defensible space,” to stop or slow an approaching wildfire. The project removed combustible woody plant material, trees close to the structure and water-thirsty grass.
The Newport Coast station was chosen due to the neighborhood’s proximity to canyons, which significantly elevates the risk of wildfire. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) has classified this area as a “very high fire severity zone.” One of the protective measures homeowners can take to mitigate this risk is through proper vegetation management around structures.
High fire severity zones require all landscaping, including tree canopies, to be cleared within five feet of homes to help prevent embers from igniting the structure. “Fire smart” landscaping, with aggregates such as decomposed granite or small crushed rocks, and plant material whose leaves and stems halt the progress of wildfires, is highly recommended in Newport Coast and other high-risk areas.
CITY CREWS RESPOND QUICKLY TO MAJOR PAINT, OIL ROADWAY SPILLS
The City’s Public Works and Utilities departments recently responded to two major incidents involving spilled paint and oil on busy public roadways.
The first was a large paint spill that occurred on Saturday, Jan. 13, on MacArthur Boulevard; the second was a large oil spill Wednesday, Jan. 17, on Jamboree Road. In both cases, City crews closed two lanes of traffic to pressure wash the spilled material and collect runoff before the material could pollute nearby storm drains.
Both streets were cleaned and re-opened for safe travels in a timely manner.
CITY COUNCIL PLANNING SESSION
Saturday, February 3 is an important date on our City calendar: The annual City Council planning session that will help shape Newport Beach’s spending, infrastructure priorities and special initiatives for the next fiscal year and beyond.
The planning session will be at the OASIS Senior Center, 801 Narcissus Ave., from 9 a.m. to noon. Residents are invited to attend.
The session will provide an overview of City finances, future infrastructure projects and spending priorities at the beginning of the annual budget development process for the 2024-25 Fiscal Year.
The Council will receive updates and provide input to staff in the following areas:
• Financial Status and Budget Development - City staff will provide an update on the City’s fiscal outlook, including challenges in the current fiscal year and forecasts for the next fiscal year budget.
make it in person, the meeting will be posted on our YouTube channel at https:// www.youtube.com/user/newportbeachgov for later viewing.
OASIS FITNESS CENTER MEETS HEALTH, WELLNESS NEEDS OF OLDER ADULTS
Adults aged 50 and older are invited to join the OASIS Fitness Center, a state-of-the-art facility designed to meet the health and wellness needs of older adults.
The Fitness Center offers more than 20 cardiovascular machines including the NuStep; a full line of strength training and stretch machines by Technogym; and a variety of free weights, medicine balls, balance bars, yoga mats and resistance bands. The Center is open seven days a week.
Annual memberships rates are $137 for Newport Beach residents and $192 for non-residents. New members are asked to register by appointment. Please call (949) 718-1818 for more information or to schedule a new member orientation.
BE WELL MOBILE CRISIS RESPONSE UPDATE
The Be Well mobile crisis response team operates in Newport Beach 12 hours a day, 7 days a week to respond to mental and behavioral health crises. The mobile unit is staffed with mental health specialists and works closely with the City’s police and fire departments.
This week, the Be Well team:
• Transported three people to the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter for intakes.
• Transported one person to the Be Well sobering station for treatment.
• Transported two people to a homeless services provider for resources.
• Transported a family to a train station to return home. The family was stranded after their vehicle became inoperable.
• Collaborated with the Newport Beach Fire Department for a medical transport.
To reach Be Well: The mobile crisis team is dispatched through the Newport Beach Police Department. To request service, dial 911 or call the Police Department’s nonemergency line at (949) 644-3717.
Homelessness Update
This week, the City’s homeless outreach and response teams:
•Transported a client to a mental health appointment.
• Enrolled a client into services and completed a shelter referral.
• Contacted several apartment complexes to schedule tours for clients.
• Continued to shelter people: 25 people who had been experiencing homelessness in Newport Beach are sheltered in the Costa Mesa Bridge Shelter.
Lunar New Year
PAGE 5
• Capital Improvement Planning - The discussion will include the City’s long range capital planning documents and how they inform the development of the upcoming projects for the capital improvement plan.
• Special Initiatives - These include programs and service levels in areas such as code enforcement and the arts.
We hope you can join us! If you cannot
Carousel Court, Level 1.
• Photography Exhibition (Feb. 8– 25): Presented by the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China and National Tourist Office.
For more information, visit southcoastplaza.com/lunar-new-year.
Op/Ed: Prop 1 Coming to a Neighborhood Near You
By Lauren Kleiman, Newport Beach City Councilmember
Most Californians are unaware that sober living, detox, social rehabilitation and mental health treatment facilities are allowed to operate in any residential neighborhood throughout the State. Some may be aware that these group homes exist but assume they could never come to a neighborhood like theirs – until one opens in the house next door to them.
California was the birthplace of zoning, a system of laws established to create guidelines at the local level for how land could be used, in order to promote the health, welfare and safety of residents and the public. For years, these laws allowed cities to better allocate resources and avoid incompatible uses, such as putting a school next to a nuclear power plant.
In more recent years, many laws have been enacted by the State of California, which supersede local zoning designations. Several of these laws carve out protections for the care of six or fewer mentally or physically handicapped persons (defined to include alcoholism, substance abuse and emotional problems) to live in residential surroundings, regardless of local regulations or even homeowners association restrictions.
The subsequent movement in favor of mandated substance use treatment over incarceration, combined with the adoption of Obama Care calling for parity of insurance coverage for mental health care, has spurred the proliferation of extremely lucrative recovery homes in neighborhoods throughout the State, the highest concentration of which exists in Orange County.
Two State agencies, the Department of Social Services (DSS) and the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), are responsible for the licensing of these group homes. Anyone can be granted a license to open this type of facility, and policymakers encourage applicants with a history of addiction or other struggles in their past to become operators. The criteria to obtain a license are minimal, and medical training or evidence that the operator has the ability to get people sober or well is not among them. Reporting requirements to maintain or renew the license are just as scant.
There have been many incidents of body brokering, insurance fraud, overdoses and deaths in this industry. So, putting aside the incongruent medical use and operation of a business in a residential zone, additional parking needs, or the unrecouped costs for intensified utilization of city resources, such as ambulance and police responses, the question everyone should be asking is whether the individuals seeking treatment in these facilities are actually getting the care they need or, even more imperatively, are not being put at greater risk.
After the owner of one of these facilities was allowed to continue to operate and open additional locations in Newport Beach, following the tragic death of a young resident of one of their group homes, the City has started the process to make that inquiry. We initiated a request to the Joint Audit Legislative Committee (JLAC) to determine whether there is sufficient oversight in
DHCS’ licensing of these facilities. That audit is underway. Input should be sent to Kris Applegate (KrisA@auditor.ca.gov) by anyone who has firsthand knowledge relating to the overconcentration of these facilities in one neighborhood, the management of multiple nearby six-bed facilities by one operator, facilities operating without a license, or incidents that should have been investigated or led to the denial or revocation of a license (such as negligence, abuse, overdose, or death).
As privacy laws impede the ability to understand patient outcomes for individual programs, or the system as a whole, feedback from residents with actual experience is critically important, since it will not be sought out by the JLAC auditors.
On the March primary election ballot, before the results of this audit will be completed and released, Californians will be asked to vote on Proposition 1, a $6.3 billion bond measure to give the State even greater latitude to fund and license an unlimited number of beds in group homes, along with other by-right (meaning cities must allow) supportive housing, substance use and mental health facilities for homeless and at-risk individuals, on any property zoned for multi-family residential, office, retail or parking.
Governor Newsom is touting Prop 1 as the solution that will end homelessness, by prioritizing “getting people off the streets, out of tents and into treatment”. However, just as with Prop 47, which was marketed to
voters in 2014 as the “Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act” yet actually made our communities much less safe by downgrading thefts under $950 and drug possession offenses into misdemeanors, the devil is in the details.
Prop 1 will actually divert funds away from existing county-run mental health services to build a State-estimated 4,350 housing units for homeless, and “places for 6,800 people to receive mental health care or drug and alcohol treatment,” according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO).
The LAO acknowledges that the cities where these facilities will be located (without their review or approval) would be responsible for the cost to operate them, and that the addition of these facilities would “reduce statewide homelessness by only a small amount” given that the number of people experiencing homeless in this State is estimated to be over 181,000 and growing.
The need to address the rising incidence of mental health and substance abuse is indisputable, particularly after the pandemic lockdowns and with dangerous drugs, such as fentanyl, flowing across our borders.
What must be challenged, however, is the notion that the same government that has seen a substantial increase in its homeless population, after spending $17.5 billion to combat it, should be entrusted with billions more of taxpayers’ dollars to encourage more unqualified and unregulated opportunists to house those in need of complex medical care, without any consideration of city resources, zoning laws, HOA restrictions or input from the residents—in a neighborhood near you.
Vote No on Proposition 1 this March.
Lauren Kleiman / Newport Beach City Council, District 6
pearance that you are home. If you’re going out for the evening, leave a television or a radio on in the home.
• If your home is equipped with an alarm, always activate it even if you’re only going out for a short walk.
• Consider adding a motion sensor in your master bedroom/bathroom, which will activate the alarm if someone comes in through a glass window or door without opening it.
• Always keep your front and rear porch lights on from dusk to dawn and use motion detector lighting along the sides of your home or areas with little foot traffic.
• Make sure your utility box is secured with a padlock.
• Adjust window coverings for optimal privacy while maintaining good visibility outside.
• Assess whether or not a window can be easily accessed from a tree, balcony, roof, wall, or with patio furniture and adjust your security plan accordingly. Ladders should be stored inside or locked to a stationary object.
• If your garage door has a remote shutoff button on the wall-mounted control, located in the garage, consider locking the door nightly. This will prevent your garage door from being opened remotely.
• If you have a safe, make sure that it is properly bolted to concrete so that it cannot be easily removed.
• When you leave on vacation, remember to call the Police Department for a “Vacation Check” at (949) 644-3681. Also, ask a trusted friend or neighbor to pick up your newspaper and mail while you are away.
NBPD Says Buckle Up and Ride Smart!
By NB Indy Staff
Calling all cyclists, commuters, and curious minds! The Newport Beach Police Department is excited to announce the launch of its new webpage, your one-stop shop for all things e-bikes and traffic safety. Whether you’re a seasoned rider or just gearing up for your first pedal, this hub is packed with resources to keep you informed, empowered, and most importantly, safe on the road.
Check out the Traffic Safety page here: nbpd.org/what-we-do/information/trafficsafety.
WHAT IS NBPD DOING ABOUT E-BIKES?
The Newport Beach Police Department uses a multi-pronged approach to address the community’s needs regarding E-bikes. They provide enforcement alongside education, targeting the most vulnerable riders within our communities: children.
NBPD officers create numerous opportunities for students, parents, and concerned community members to come together and learn the rules and safe practices for riding a bicycle or E-bike within the city. In the first two years of this program alone (20212023), their presentations reached over 7,500 community members.
Some of the most productive meetings have been held in collaboration with the Newport Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD), Parent Teacher Associations
(PTAs), and Home Owners Associations (HOAs) throughout the city, including:
• Corona Del Mar High School and Middle School
• Our Lady Queen of Angels
• Mariners Elementary School
• Ensign Middle School
• Lincoln Elementary School
• Newport Elementary School
• Harbor View HOA
• Dover Shores HOA
• YMCA Newport Beach
The Newport Beach Police Department understands the importance of bike and E-bike safety and continues its commitment to encourage safe and lawful riding.
TRAFFIC SAFETY
In addition to the educational presentations discussed in the previous section, the NBPD also provide a variety of
services to enhance the safety of everyone on the road. Motor officers routinely patrol the city to monitor the use of our roadways, providing information and enforcement as needed. They also conduct “high visibility enforcement” operations, targeting locations that raise concerns and complaints from our community members or where there is an elevated use of bikes/e-bikes, such as the areas around our schools and the boardwalk on the Balboa Peninsula.
NBPD also receives grant funds from the State of California specifically for bicycle and pedestrian safety. These funds are used for special operations and to provide safety equipment such as helmets and bike lights to our community. The NBPD has distributed bike safety equipment through various department-sponsored events, such as the Mobile Café.
Pedego E-Bikes / photo by Chris Trela
More than most sworn officers on the current roster, Meadows has served under six chiefs of police. Make that seven “chiefs.” Her father, Steve Podesta, retired as a Commander after 30-year service with the Pasadena Police Department.
For the most part, NBPD volunteers follow their defined responsibilities. But in 2023, in order to save the department nearly $50,000, Meadows went above and beyond the expected duty by donating nearly 1,000 hours of her at-home time to remove the embroidered names and service stars on police officer’s shirts and jackets. Few people can comprehend the yards and yards of gold thread that go into every star or letter, she explained, adding, “It’s a slow, painstaking process in order not to tear the fabric.” Fortunately, reapplication of names and hash marks was completed by machines at the uniform store. For the foreseeable future, Meadow’s digits are on extended leave.
What few know is that volunteers are required to undergo the exact background check as candidate Newport officers. Said Meadows, “I think it’s such an honor that we are vetted in order to wear the badge, that we represent the police to the public, and that we do things that support both sworn and civilian employees to facilitate their jobs. If everyone would go through the Citizens’ Police Academy, I guarantee that all would greatly respect the police, and see how many facets there are to being
New
an officer.”
Unlike regular police with assigned beats and patrol areas, Volunteers range freely throughout the city; therefore, it is not unusual for them to be first to come across accidents whose victims require medical care, or discover open doors of homes that have been burglarized, or happen upon animals struck by vehicles in the middle of the road.
“Volunteers, as do regular police officers, understand that they must expect the unexpected,” program director Rangel said. Ever since childhood, 79-year-old Volunteer Joel Gerson has been enamored by police work. He even considered a career in law enforcement in his hometown of Millburn, New Jersey, after college and a stint in the National Guard. However, lucrative opportunities in the field of benefits consulting influenced his career decisions.
In 2010, retired, curious and looking to fill time, Gerson conducted his own online “investigation” about the Newport Beach PD, where he learned about the volunteer program.
With 8,000 hours under the proverbial equipment belt, Gerson puts in up to 15 hours a week doing whatever has to be done — much beyond the normal patrol. This includes everything from conducting station tours, illegal sign removal, issuing open garage door warnings and/or informing citizens how risky it is to leave open garages unattended, and crime alert distribution.
Additionally, he and his fellow volunteers will monitor traffic, along with
the thousand- plus kids on bikes who, like spring tides, flood the streets and beaches every summer for the Junior Lifeguard Program.
“I get a tremendous degree of satisfaction in the amount of impact I have on the PD and community,” Gerson said with pride, adding that “I’ve enjoyed so much camaraderie resulting in many friendships and opportunities.”
Those opportunities include an intimate knowledge of the intricacies of a police department, which allows him whenever possible to share with the community the services available to them.
In lifelong retrospect, Gerson admits with great admiration for law enforcement pros that “maybe I wouldn’t have qualified to be a police officer because of all the correct split- second decisions that they have to make on a daily basis.” Still, he said, being a police volunteer “gives me a great sense of purpose and belonging in the community.”
“It’s an inside job” is a phrase not exclusive to detectives. There are those indoor assignments which are ideal for the many talents offered by volunteer members. One such takes place in the Property Room — a basement storehouse crammed with evidence awaiting courtroom presentation, everything from confiscated narcotics to stolen antiques; weapons to cold, hard cash — all collected during crime investigations Because of family schedules, the Property Room proved to be the ideal
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assignment for 83-year-old Marc Spiegel. Although he doesn’t actually touch the locked-up evidence (that’s the exclusive bailiwick of an “authorized” property manager), Spiegel focuses in the area of office supplies required by the various departments within the station. It’s a perfect fit, since the retired business owner understands the complexities of purchasing and inventories, supply chains, distribution and mark-ups.
One of his more satisfying moments as a volunteer, he recounted, came during the early days of the Covid crisis, when management asked him to order rubber gloves from the department’s usual supplier. Being in very short supply from extraordinary demand, the supplier jacked up the price by 40 percent. So on his own initiative, Spiegel hit the phones, ultimately finding another source who agreed to sell gloves of equal specs at 40 percent discount. Spiegel reprised that money-saving act with hard-to-find hand wipes that officers carry in the trunks of their patrol cars.
“I’ve learned a lot about the people working at the PD, and I haven’t met anybody who isn’t dedicated to their job,” Spiegel said. “I’m always greeted by a smile. Over the years in my business, I’ve signed a lot of pay checks, but I never ever got that kind of reaction.
Working at and with the PD has given me the opportunity to give back to the city I’ve loved since I first crossed the bridge to the peninsula as an 11-year-old in 1952.” In addition to their varied roles, Crime
VOLUNTEERS Page 9
Year, New You is Possible at The Smart Fit Method
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Not only that, most gyms use outdated equipment. Personal trainers may have modern knowledge, but they still use ineffective equipment like dumbbells, barbells, treadmills, and elliptical machines. They’re limited by the equipment they can access, which
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The equipment at The Smart Fit Method streamlines fitness so you don’t have to worry about adjusting weights, picking the right treadmill settings, or dialing in the right resistances. AI robotics adapt perfectly to your body so your certified personal trainer can ensure you receive the most effective workout every time you’re in the studio. You don’t have to be an expert in fitness or technology to reap the benefits of training at The Smart Fit Method. Here’s what client Mary D. had to say: “I’d never be able to do something like this on my own, but thanks to my Smart Fit Method trainer, I get to workout on the same equipment celebrities and astronauts use, and I don’t have to worry about
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CHARITY SPOTLIGHT
Newport Beach-Based CureDuchenne Welcomes Patricia Brown as Senior Director of Community Engagement
By NB Indy Staff
CureDuchenne, a global nonprofit based in Newport Beach committed to finding and funding a cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy has announced an addition to its executive team with the hiring of Senior Director of Community Engagement, Patricia Brown, MBA, BSN, R.N.
This position plays a crucial role in CureDuchenne’s mission of improving the lives of individuals and families affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy, championing the needs of the community and fostering relationships with external partners, caretakers and healthcare providers.
Brown is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in healthcare and has deep experience in advocacy, community education, and patient care. Most recently she served as Associate Director of Patient Engagement North America at PTC Therapeutics, where she supported individuals with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and their caregivers. Her work involved understanding the needs and challenges
Volunteers
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Prevention Specialist Rangel sees her volunteers as “ambassadors, who promote a collaborative approach to public safety” and who “help the department allocate its resources more efficiently. Volunteers often take on tasks that do not require sworn officers’ involvement, and they act as a bridge between the department and the community. This is a group of dedicated individuals who generously contribute their time, skills and passion.”
Police Chief Joe Cartwright enthused, “Our NBPD volunteers are an outstanding team that works tirelessly for their community, and remain some of the most dedicated people I have ever met.
“They give so much of their time and love for our city, and serve as a force multiplier to achieve the daily mission of our department,” he added. “Their immeasurable support benefits us in so many ways, and I’m still amazed by the dedication evident in everything the NBPD Volunteers put their name upon.”
Before any person may be considered a Volunteer candidate, they must attend and complete the 12-week-long citizens’ academy. For more information, visit the website at https://www.nbpd.org/what-wedo/programs.
Editor’s note: Feature writer Richard Simon was a NBPD Volunteer for 11 years, from 2002 to 2013, and to date is the only volunteer to have been presented with a coveted Life Saving Award.
of the community and leading crossfunctional collaboration to identify and implement effective solutions for addressing disparities in care.
She also brings expertise in working with patient advocacy organizations to facilitate patient access to resources such as external appeal assistance, family support, and community networking.
Prior to PTC Therapeutics, Brown served as a Senior Nurse Manager at Lash Group, where she designed and deployed pharmaceutical clinical support services for FDA- approved medications and led educational programs tailored to address emerging trends observed within the community.
“Patricia Brown joining our team reinforces our commitment to not just finding a cure, but also to enhancing the quality of life for those affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy,” said CureDuchenne founder and CEO Debra Miller of Newport Beach. “Patricia’s deep understanding of patient needs and challenges, coupled with her experience in fostering collaborative solutions, will be instrumental in advancing our mission. We look forward to the positive changes and new perspectives Patricia will bring to CureDuchenne.”
CureDuchenne was founded by Debra and Paul Miller in 2003 after their son was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The organization combines fundraising and venture philanthropy, identifying and investing donor dollars into promising research leading to transformative treatments for those living with Duchenne. CureDuchenne also provides resources and guidance for families affected by the fatal genetic neuromuscular disorder, which affects more than 300,000 individuals worldwide.
For more information, visit www. cureduchenne.org.
2/17 THE MOTELS
2/18 ALBERT CUMMINGS
2/22 SHAWN PHILLIPS
2/23 BEATLES VS STONES
2/24 DADA
2/25 KEN GARCIA
2/29 FOOZ FIGHTERS / PEARL JAMMED
3/1 G. LOVE & SPECIAL SAUCE
3/2 “2 e ngli S hmen A bro AD ” A n e vening w / ROBERT FRIPP & DAVID SINGLETON
3/3 WALTER TROUT r e C or
3/7 THE BODEANS
3/8 THE TUBES
3/9 SUPER DIAMOND
3/13 REVEREND HORTON HEAT
3/14 COLIN JAMES
3/15 THE FENIANS S T p AT ’ S D Ay C elebr AT ion
3/16 ARMAGEDDON / MOTLEY 2
3/17 ROD The MOD ( r o D S T
/ FRAMPTON COMES ALIVE ( p e T er F r A mp T on T ribu T e )
3/21 X 3/22 X
3/23 THE HIGHWAYMAN SHOW
3/24 NELSON
3/28 HERMAN’S HERMITS
3/29 HERMAN’S HERMITS
3/30 WAYNE NEWTON
3/31 LYNCH MOB – The Final Ride
4/4 THE KINGSTON TRIO
4/5 ULI JON ROTH
4/6 RONSTADT REVIVAL
4/7 CINDERELLA’S TOM KEIFER
4/10 JOAN OSBORNE ACOUSTIC TRIO
4/11 JIMMIE VAUGHAN
4/12 ROGER CLYNE
& THE PEACEMAKERS
4/13 TINSLEY ELLIS
4/14 THE FABULOUS THUNDERBIRDS
4/18 SPONGE
4/19 RICHIE FURAY
4/20 GEOFF TATE
4/21 VONDA SHEPARD
4/25 ISRAEL VIBRATION & Roots Radics
4/26 FIVE FOR FIGHTING wi T h S T ring Q
4/27 KIDS OF CHARLEMAGNE
4/28 BOB ANDERSON (F
5/5 OINGO BOINGO FORMER MEMBERS
5/7 BLUES TRAVELER
5/8 JUDY COLLINS
5/9 CALIFORNIA GUITAR TRIO
5/15 MR BIG
5/17 JOHN CRUZ
5/18 VENICE
5/19 THE LETTERMEN
5/24 DSB (J ourney T ribu T e )
5/31 YACHTY BY NATURE
6/6 HOWIE DAY 6/14 AMBROSIA
)
Photo: Patricia Brown is the new Senior Director of Community Engagement at CureDuchenne
Laguna Playhouse’s Production of “Ain’t Misbehavin’” is a Joyous Crowd-Pleaser STEPPING OUT
By Eric Marchese | Special to the NB
When it comes to larger-than-life showbiz greats, few can match the storied life and career of Thomas Waller, the pianist, composer and performer lovingly known as “Fats.”
Waller reveled in life, and his appetites for food and drink were part of his legendary personality as he packed a lifetime’s worth of fame, pizzazz and just plain fun into his 39 years.
In 1978, less than four decades after his demise, Murray Horwitz and Richard Maltby, Jr., wrote a socko musical revue that rolls out one great Waller tune after another. Art Center PAGE 4
simply exploiting her family’s unimaginable and ultra-personal tragedy for profit and fame, using the book to extract revenge upon her parents, or indulging in a cathartic process needed to exorcise her own demons.
As Baitz shows, discussions and arguments escalate as the stakes are raised. Neither side is about to make any concessions or to back down, so where will “Other Desert Cities” land?
Three main scenes (the fourth essentially a coda) skillfully and gradually reveal the family’s background, history, work and careers, and personal lives – and their relationships with one another and with other, unseen characters.
The squabbles of the opening scene are fairly mild, leaving us unprepared for the acrimony that follows, yet as the first scene melts into the second, Baitz raises the temperature. Director and cast go with the script’s flow, giving NTAC patrons genuine intensity that’s honestly felt and communicated to us as bitterness that’s almost supercharged.
As Lyman and Polly were once Old Hollywood lefties – he a movie star,
James Tolbert and Amber Diane Wright star in “Ain’t Misbehavin’” at Laguna Playhouse. Photo credit: Jason Niedle.
Waller’s brash, mischievous, fun-loving personality to the max. Film shorts featuring Waller reveal his performing style and, of even more import, his stage presence, from the devilish grin and raised eyebrows to the sly, playful expression.
A singular talent, and the most popular black entertainer of his time, the impish clown prince of hot piano would mug for the camera, the only performer of the ’20s and ’30s to combine the Harlem Stride popularized by James P. Johnson, Eubie Blake, Luckey Roberts and Willie the Lion Smith with ragtime, jazz, swing and pop.
As this wholly enjoyable revue show points out, the versatile Fats created and performed one type of music for the mainstream, Tin Pan Alley, and an entirely different brand for his fans uptown in Harlem.
as restraint. Never do we feel any are holding back.
At the top of the show, Aaron Rumley’s projection design flashes black-and-white photos of Waller onto Laguna’s stage to give today’s audiences an inkling of his style and personality.
The playlist is expertly designed and schematicized, with canny thematic connections between successive numbers, up-tempo selections alternating with slower, more measured essays, and with various cast members folded into and out of each musical scene.
Tolbert smoothly carries the lead vocals of “T’ain’t Nobody’s Biz-ness If I Do,” but Bonner and Greer provide the number’s sass and flair, Hartley creating plenty of stage “biz-ness” for the duo.
Now, Fats Waller fans can enjoy this popular show in a Laguna Playhouse production that does its subject proud.
The show, “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” is named for the hit song Waller co-wrote with Andy Razaf and Harry Brooks for the 1929 musical revue “Hot Chocolates.” As the title number, the broad, pleasing song, the biggest hit of Waller’s career, leads off the show while introducing us to its five performers: Dedrick Bonner, Summer Nicole Greer, Jenelle Lynn Randall, James Tolbert and Amber Diane Wright
The playlist features more than 20 of the prolific composer’s pieces and a handful more he popularized. The music reflects
In her expertly-chosen ensemble, director Yvette Freeman Hartley has five likable, engagingly personable performers with silky voices and an easygoing charisma that’s potent, yet never overpowers us.
Each skillfully crafts a soft, agreeable persona and stage presence that, like Fats and his music, wins us over not with force, but with charm and grace. The show is as good-natured and fun-loving as Fats himself was known to be, and the catchphrase “One never knows, do one?” is dropped into the staging at key moments, a nudge-nudge wink-wink to us all.
The performers draw us in, inviting us to join them in the revelry of the moment – yet don’t mistake this cast’s laid-back approach
“Honeysuckle Rose,” “The Joint is Jumpin’,” “Jitterbug Waltz,” “Off-Time” and “Handful of Keys” are just a few of the production’s highlights. The music is ever intoxicating, the words frequently ribald, yet both naughty and nice.
Bonner delights us with his rendering of “Your Feet’s Too Big,” comically chiding his lady friend’s oversized “pedal extremities,” while he and Tolbert ridicule a “Fat and Greasy” male pal in a similar, teasing style.
Waller’s works could also be meditative and even near-introspective, as when Randall infuses “I’ve Got a Feeling I’m Falling” with melodic vocals and wide-ranging dynamics and pours on the expressive heart-
LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE Page 11
she a screenwriter – who shifted to the right and pursued politics, we’re tempted to regard them as a minor league Ron and Nancy. Yet DaSilva guides Paul and Sutera in what at first seems counterintuitive, sketching them as mostly laid-back, fairly permissive parents.
Sinclair likewise soft-pedals Brooke’s persona, projecting her independence and self-sufficiency while avoiding off-putting stridency, taking the harder road of avoiding one-note glum gloom.
Paul adds shadings and nuances to what could have been a potentially cardboard stereotype of a self-involved former star enamored of his storied filmic past, his considerable range creating an angst-ridden patriarch who’s appealing and wholly likable.
Sutera’s Polly will strike many as self-righteous, yet NTAC’s subtle staging creates, then reveals, lifelike layers that amplify this production’s sense of realism. This tough cookie despises weakness and denigrates everything left of center, but Baitz infuses gradations into the near-stereotypical
battle-axe persona which Sutera and director daSilva then bring to the fore. Paul, Sutera and Sinclair show us in no uncertain terms that each of these three hugely focal characters is driven by an inner certainty that’s absolute. Their interactions are compelling, and Paul and Sinclair, in particular, show the complexities that link Lyman and Brooke.
While Trip’s career starring in a reality TV courtroom series has us viewing him as the family lightweight, Green tempers his broadly comic reading, plumbing the character’s depths and revealing Trip’s introspection and lack of satisfaction with life.
Whereas Silda and Polly had been a successful team writing for the silver screen, Polly moved far from Silda’s left-wing ethos and her overindulgence in booze and grass. Maier lends the role of this larger-than-life, erstwhile hippie comedic panache but also plenty of welcome gravitas so we don’t simply write Silda off as a living train wreck.
The picture frame windows of Jim Huffman’s scenic design give us views of desert palms and purple sunsets,
with a blue-and-silver clad Christmas tree complementing cinder blocks, framed family photos and a prominent fireplace with brick flue, all of which connote tasteful elegance and SoCal chic.
NTAC shows Baitz as a writer of monumental insight who has crafted a perceptive, incisive work of considerable power, with just enough witty humor to soften the blows.
While Baitz tends to indulge his characters’ tendency to speechify, which isn’t generally how conversations go in the real world, “Other Desert Cities” is still a potent piece of stagecraft. Divergent truths are at the core of this superb staging, which breathes rarified theatrical air, providing an unforgettable experience for all who see it.
Newport Theatre Arts Center, 2501 Cliff Drive, Newport Beach. Through February 11. Running time (includes intermission): Two hours, 20 minutes. 7:30 p.m. Thu.- Sat., 2 p.m. Sun. Tickets: $30. Ticket purchase/information: (949) 631-0288, www.ntaconline.com.
Indy
Laguna Playhouse
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tugging of “Mean to Me.”
The script frequently pairs the cast’s heftier, more mature leads – in this case, Bonner and Greer – while the more youthful Tolbert and Wright are likewise coupled up. Randall, in pleasing counterpoint, is tapped to provide comedy, which also serves to make her serious solo turns even more impressive.
Not everything in “Ain’t Misbehavin’” was penned by Waller, a composer who worked with many lyricists. The bulk of Act Two is devoted to pieces Fats popularized through performance, such as “Spreadin’ Rhythm Around,” “Your Feet’s Too Big,” “Mean to Me,” “That Ain’t Right,” and “The Viper’s Drag,” a slow-tempo traditional tune known as “The Reefer Song” that’s easily this show’s most surreal scene.
Likewise, the show’s finale showcases five songs, including “I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter,” “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love” and “It’s a Sin to Tell a Lie,” written by others that Fats, through his performances of them, turned into hits.
Maltby added lyrics to turn the Waller instrumentals “Jitterbug Waltz” and “Lounging at the Waldorf” into vocal selections, and he and Horwitz wrote lyrics for “Handful of Keys” plus additional lyrics for “That Ain’t Right” (music and lyrics by Nat “King” Cole).
Purely sensational without overshadowing the cast are the five on-stage band members: Fernando Pullum (trumpet and
flugelhorn), Wendell Kelly (trombone), Frederick Fiddmont (reeds), Weldon Scott (bass) and Land Richards (drums), who are given the spotlight at the top of the second half.
Musical director Abdul Hamid Royal is even better, the onstage pianist whose presence and playing of a vintage upright are meant to evoke Fats himself. That he does, and brilliantly. The ensemble pulls off choreographer Roxane Carrasco’s appealing
dance steps with verve and style, and thanks to Wendell Carmichael’s costume designs, they look great doing so.
As “Ain’t Misbehavin’” is a cabaret show, Edward E. Haynes, Jr.’s scenic design of an intimate Harlem nightclub is ideal, beautifully lit by Jared Sayeg and given spot-on sound design by Ian Scot.
At Laguna Playhouse, “Ain’t Misbehavin’” is a joyous, undemanding crowd-pleaser – a foot-stompin’ evening sure to leave audi-
ences happy to have made the acquaintance of one Fats Waller.
Moulton Theatre, Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Drive, Laguna Beach. Through February 11. Running time (including intermission): Two hours. Tickets: $55 to $94. Ticket purchase/information: 949-4972787, lagunaplayhouse.org.
Summer Nicole Greer, Dedrick Bonner, Amber Diane Wright, James Tolbert and Jenelle Lynn Randall star in “Ain’t Misbehavin’” at Laguna Playhouse. Photo cred-it: Jason Niedle.
