Prince

D isney and Jerry Bruckheimer joined forces to create the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise. They teamed up again to produce the swashbuckling "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time." It's based on a successful video game, which ensures an audience of millions of teenage geeks who own and play the game. The PG family appeal is enhanced by adding elements from other successful adventure films. Indiana Jones, James Bond and Spiderman would all feel at home in this movie.

Watching "The Prince of Atlantis," Steven Drukman's new play now making its world premiere engagement at South Coast Repertory, is like enjoying two productions simultaneously — a broad comedy and a serious drama, which occasionally overlap. The comic aspect is rich and robust, while the more serious segment offers some thoughtful interchange between two men who might, or might not, be father and son interacting for the first time. Both elements are engaging under the direction of Warner Shook.

Richard Dunn COSTA MESA - At this rate, coaches of the Carden Hall fifth- and sixth-grade girls soccer team like their chances of winning the Daily Pilot Cup. "Yeah, I think we can do it," said Carden Hall assistant coach Julia Bernay, filling in Thursday night for her father and head coach, Michael. In their second pool-play victory, Carden Hall defeated the Prince of Peace Patriots, 4-0, under the lights at the Farm Field to advance to the quarterfinals Saturday at 3:45 p.m. against Newport Elementary.

For a video, click here. For a photo gallery, click here. COSTA MESA — The offensive fireworks shot off Thursday afternoon. The fifth- and sixth-grade girls’ bronze division match between the Prince of Peace and Davis featured both teams’ strong offenses at the Costa Mesa Farm Complex. The Prince of Peace had a 4-0 lead in the first half, the first two goals from fifth-grader Elizabeth Sturdy, and never looked back as the team defeated Davis 6-2. “They played real well together as a team and did what we practiced the last couple of weeks.

Tom Titus If there exists such a thing as a children's allegory, then Orange Coast College has discovered it. OCC's Children's Theater Company is offering a translation of the French fable "The Little Prince" at the college's spacious Robert B. Moore Theatre. This is not to be confused with that other French fable at the Orange County Performing Arts Center -- a little thing called "Beauty and the Beast." Adapted from Antoine de Saint-Exupery's 1943 novelette, which has enjoyed worldwide popularity, "Little Prince" is both appealing and mystifying as it weaves its fragile tale of a stranded aviator in the Sahara Desert (not the ideal place to be in 1943)

COSTA MESA ? Both teams were aggressors for a half; Prince of Peace in the first half, and Mariners Christian in the second half. So a 1-1 tie seemed the fairest way to end it, and that was the result in a third-and fourth-grade girls' Silver Division game on Thursday at the Daily Pilot Cup. Prince of Peace's Madison Caffey, who had just missed a shot in the 16th minute, found the back of the net just before halftime. In the second half, however, it was a Mariners Christian onslaught.

TOM TITUS Shortly before he lost his life in a plane crash, French author Antoine de Saint-Exupery wrote a fanciful story of a pilot whose craft was downed in the Sahara Desert, but to whom fate was a great deal kinder. That story, "The Little Prince," has charmed readers and -- thanks to the stage adaptation by Rick Cummins and John Scoullar -- theatergoers for six decades. Currently it's intriguing youngsters and oldsters alike at South Coast Repertory.

Young Chang Gretchen Passantino wanted to offer adults a higher education in theology without the requisite of a master's degree, or the requirement that you'd have to end up with one. Having graduated with a master's in June from the Faith Evangelical Lutheran Seminary, which is based in Washington but offers extensions in South Central Los Angeles and other parts of the world, Passantino decided to bring her...

Young Chang Cinderella's fairy-godmother transforms more than just cinder girls to glamdom and pumpkins into horses this year. At the Trilogy Playhouse in Costa Mesa, James Mulligan has changed from last month's insane Dr. Frankenstein -- for the Halloween show "Frankenstein" -- into Prince Charming. Jenny Stumpf, who played a 1930s village girl mourning the death of her brother in "Frankenstein," has become Cinderella. Both will lead the playhouse in a musical production of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein's "Cinderella" through Dec. 16 "It's very sweet and heartfelt," said Mulligan, a tenor.

Chris Yemma After letting their spirits sink following an opening-round loss Tuesday to St. Joachim Elementary, the Lincoln B third- and fourth-grade girls soccer team was in need of a boost. The boost came in the form of a burst Thursday, as the Leopards scored two goals in each half to claim a 4-1 Silver division victory over Prince of Peace in its second game of pool play at Costa Mesa Farm Complex. Led by Janna Rosenberg's two goals -- one in each half -- Lincoln B (1-1)

"Les" is more when it comes to honoring local students. Last week the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce distributed its annual Les Miller Outstanding Student Awards . The stirring, 33rd annual ceremony was at the Hilton Orange County/Costa Mesa hotel. Awards and scholarships were presented to several dozen Costa Mesa high school and college students. I love the Les Miller awards. For many years, while I served as an administrator at Orange Coast College, I witnessed the awards being presented to deserving students and student-athletes.

Watching "The Prince of Atlantis," Steven Drukman's new play now making its world premiere engagement at South Coast Repertory, is like enjoying two productions simultaneously — a broad comedy and a serious drama, which occasionally overlap. The comic aspect is rich and robust, while the more serious segment offers some thoughtful interchange between two men who might, or might not, be father and son interacting for the first time. Both elements are engaging under the direction of Warner Shook.

"This must be what heaven is like," gushed Newport's Linda Daniels . The tall, blond design professional was a guest at the Decorative Arts Society's cocktail reception hosted on Monday evening by Barbara and David Cline at their bayfront estate on the Balboa Peninsula. Daniels joined DARTS patrons on the terrace overlooking the Clines' bayfront lawn and expansive dock on Newport Harbor, as the evening sky turned from cerulean blue to a rich magenta, fading into a starry night over water.

Celebrate Christmas with frozen treats, the Peppermint Prince, and of course, the big guy. Santa is coming to Orange Coast College for its Repertory Theatre Company's An Old-Fashioned Melodrama and Ice Cream Social two weekends in December. The show includes music, vaudeville acts, a holiday sing-along and the play "Return of the Peppermint Prince," written by theater instructor David Scaglione. The show is directed by theater arts professor Rick Golson. After the show, there will be an ice cream treat and a visit by Santa.

LAGUNA BEACH — When it comes to those mysterious British royals, no one knows what's going on inside — or on top of — their heads better than the ultimate confidant. "The media would say, 'If you want to find out anything, just ask the hairdresser,'" said Richard Dalton, stylist to the late Princess Diana. But it was mums the word with Dalton, who says he never spilled a single royal secret in his 12 years dressing Di's famous golden locks. Today, Dalton lives in Dana Point and works as a consultant and wigmaker at Charles' Wigs in Laguna Beach.

This centenarian is still kicking. And plié-ing, arabesque-ing and jeté-ing. "The Firebird," a famed 1910 ballet whose music was composed by Igor Stravinsky, will make an appearance this weekend at the Irvine Barclay Theatre, starring the dancers of the Festival Ballet Theatre and one very special alumna. Newly choreographed by Nikolai Kabaniaev, the production tells the tale of Prince Ivan and the eponymous Firebird, who aids the prince in battle against an evil foe in exchange for eventual freedom.

D isney and Jerry Bruckheimer joined forces to create the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise. They teamed up again to produce the swashbuckling "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time." It's based on a successful video game, which ensures an audience of millions of teenage geeks who own and play the game. The PG family appeal is enhanced by adding elements from other successful adventure films. Indiana Jones, James Bond and Spiderman would all feel at home in this movie.

You only have to read the two words preceding the title of the current production at the Orange County Performing Arts Center to know what to expect. The show’s full name is “Monty Python’s Spamalot.” With the Python troupe, specifically Eric Idle (book, lyrics and a share of the music), involved, audiences should be well aware of the type of certified craziness awaiting them. This is King Arthur and his Round Table guys the way they’ve never really been portrayed, except for the movie “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” from which this stage musical is, as the Pythons put it, “lovingly ripped off” and assembled by esteemed director Mike Nichols.

For a video, click here. For a photo gallery, click here. COSTA MESA — The offensive fireworks shot off Thursday afternoon. The fifth- and sixth-grade girls’ bronze division match between the Prince of Peace and Davis featured both teams’ strong offenses at the Costa Mesa Farm Complex. The Prince of Peace had a 4-0 lead in the first half, the first two goals from fifth-grader Elizabeth Sturdy, and never looked back as the team defeated Davis 6-2. “They played real well together as a team and did what we practiced the last couple of weeks.

Esther Olson lived in Norway as a newborn, North Dakota as a child, China as a Lutheran missionary, the Philippines as a victim of World War II atrocities, and has lived decades more in Southern California. But the soon-to-be 100-year-old is appreciated most in Costa Mesa as the loving and energetic principal who helped found Prince of Peace Lutheran School and grew it for 30 years. On Saturday, the school she helped build will celebrate nearly 100 years of her life, from her birth in Norway on Christmas of 1908 to her time expanding the tiny elementary school into a community institution.