Women's History Month
This March, we’re celebrating Women’s History Month and the vital role of women in history and modern society. Over the Center’s 36 years of history, we’ve had the honor of hosting countless groundbreaking female artists on our campus, and we’re highlighting some of the incredible, trailblazing women who have performed here!
Mavis Staples
One of the most influential gospel singers, civil rights activist and musician Mavis Staples rose to fame as a member of The Staple Singers and debuted her first solo album in 1969. She has created several radio hits like “Respect Yourself,” “Let’s Do It Again,” and “I’ll Take You There” and is a pivotal artist who contributed to the freedom songs of the Civil Rights era. Staples is a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, and a living legend, and she has performed at the Center several times throughout her impressive career.
Most recently, Staples performed in Samueli Theater with Kandace Springs this past December to a crowd of captivated patrons who enjoyed a night of powerful vocals.
Misty Copeland
As the first African American female Principal Dancer with American Ballet Theatre, Misty Copeland is a revolutionary ballerina who has carved the path for hundreds of thousands of dancers worldwide. She has danced with ABT for 23 years and has starred in countless ballets at the Center, and we are delighted that it became a yearly tradition for Misty Copeland to dance as Princess Clara in select performances of ABT’s The Nutcracker in Costa Mesa. She serves as an inspiration to many, and her performances of The Nutcracker each year are always an incredibly sought-after show!
Natalia Osipova
Natalia Osipova is varyingly described as “the face of 21st century ballet” and is known as one of the world’s greatest ballerinas. This Russian ballerina has danced with The Bolshoi Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and The Royal Ballet, building an 18-year career that showcases her expressive technique and unmatched skill throughout various repertoire. In 2012, Osipova performed the titular role in The Firebird, and throughout the years, she has appeared in various ballets at the Center including Don Quixote, Isadora, and Romeo and Juliet.
Carole King
With 118 pop hits on the Billboard Hot 100, Carole King is the most successful female songwriters in the latter half of the 20th century in the US. This recordbreaking singer-songwriter is one of the most influential musicians of all time with songs like "I Feel the Earth Move,” “Beautiful,” and “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman.” King is a Kennedy Center Honoree, a Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, and the first woman to be honored with the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.
When Carole King appeared as the Candlelight Concert performer in 2016, our audiences were thrilled to hear this music icon perform some of her biggest hits right on our Segerstrom Hall stage.
Lily Tomlin
Lily Tomlin has been at the top of the comedy world for over 50 years and has a career that has spanned across Broadway, television, film, and stand-up comedy. Known for her leading role alongside Dolly Parton and Jane Fonda in 9 to 5 and for starring in the one-woman show, The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe on Broadway—written by her now-wife Jane Wagner—Tomlin has won a Tony Award, two Peabodys, a Grammy and six Emmys. She was also awarded the SAG Lifetime Achievement Award and is a Kennedy Center Honoree. Tomlin is an activist for civil rights, gender equality, climate action, and the LGBTQ+ community and has been involved in countless movements throughout the years.
Lily Tomlin has performed multiple stand-up sets at the Center over the course of our history, including shows in 1999, 2009, 2013, and 2016.
Related celebrations:
¡DAMAS!
¡DAMAS! is the girl’s night out you’ve been waiting for! Admission is free, so grab your friends and meet us on the Julianne and George Argyros Plaza for a night of live music, dance performances, an unmissable dance party with DJ Hunny Bee, pop-ups from local women-owned businesses, fun photo ops, tasty bites and drink specials from George’s Café. It’s a night for the girls, by the girls!
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Reggaeton Paint Party
Paint, sip and vibe out at this perfect girls’ day out! March is Women’s History Month and we’re throwing a Reggaeton Paint Party on the Julianne and George Argyros Plaza in celebration of Latin pop’s leading ladies!
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Silent Disco: Queens of Pop
Calling all divas to the dance floor! Join us for this special-edition Silent Disco as we celebrate history’s iconic Queens of Pop. From Whitney to Britney, Gaga to Rihanna, you’ll be able to dance through the decades via three different channels on your own light up wireless headphones.
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