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The Troubador Theater Co. Brings Its Epic The Odd-Essy to Casa Romantica

Used to be a few things in Orange County theater were as reliable as right-wing nut jobs winning re-election: the Crystal Cathedral’s Glory of Christmas leading even Jesus to say, “Fuck this overwrought mess”; Hal Landon Jr. starring in South Coast Repertory’s A Christmas Carol (this December marks his final turn in an incredible 40-year-tenure); …

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Law Professor Explores Secret OCDA DNA Database

Orange County’s District Attorney controls the largest database of DNA profiles not created by legislative act in the nation. The database, created in April 2007, is largely shrouded in secrecy. But a new paper by UC Berkeley Law Professor Andrea Roth sheds considerable light on the database. “[W]hile debate continues over statutorily authorized DNA collection, …

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Campaign Zero Grades 12 OC Police Departments

On the last day of May, the police accountability advocacy group Campaign Zero released a scorecard grading California’s 100 largest police departments. Using data from 2016 and 2017, the organization scored the departments on a range of factors to assess their accountability and willingness to discriminate and use violence. “Campaign Zero obtained data from state …

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What an Excellent Day for an Exorcism [Special Screenings, May 16-23]

Tolkien. Dome Karukoski’s new bio-drama is about the formative years of the orphaned author J.R.R. Tolkien (Nicholas Hoult). Various theaters; fandango.com. Thurs., May 16; visit the website for days, show times and ticket prices; also at Art Theatre, 2025 E. 4th St., Long Beach, (562) 438-5435. Fri.-Wed., 4 & 8:45 p.m.; Thurs., May 23, 4 p.m. $9-$12. …

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Patrick Warburton Comes Home to OC to Read Letters from a Nut at Irvine Improv

What you know Patrick Warburton from may depend on when you were born. It could be as Lemony Snicket from the current Netflix show A Series of Unfortunate Events. From 2007 through 2013, Warburton starred as Jeff Bingham on the CBS sitcom Rules of Engagement. He also played the titular role on The Tick, but not …

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Will New DA Todd Spitzer Meet Deadline to Prove He’s the Anti-Tony Rackauckas?

Attorney General Xavier Becerra called a late-April press conference in Los Angeles to celebrate a $150 million settlement with a Wall Street giant that allegedly abused state public employees on high-risk pension investments. After claiming he holds lawbreakers “accountable,” Becerra stated, “The California Department of Justice is watching.” The former congressional Democrat ended by emphasizing …

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All Access: Looking Back on 20 Years of Covering the Newport Beach Film Fest

That a 20th anniversary Newport Beach Film Fest (NBFF) is happening Thursday, April 25 through May 2 is amazing when you consider the cinextravaganza’s humble beginnings. There had been a Newport Beach International Film Festival, which went belly-up in 1999 after a four-year run, leaving unpaid vendors, pissed-off volunteers and much ill will in its …

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Coachella’s Record Store Offers a Cool Oasis For Music Discovery

Most people probably don’t come to Coachella with plans to go crate digging for vinyl, but inevitably there’s a point when things at the festival’s annual pop-up record store get slammed. Thousands of sunburned Coachellians pop in and buy records throughout the daym storing them in the air-conditioned backroom to prevent warping from the sun. …

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