Officials Seek to Bring 2 Music Groups to City

City officials concede that Stanton hasn’t been known as a place that attracts top musical shows, but they’re working this year to fill what they see as a cultural void.

Working with the Kingsmen, a local drum and bugle corps, city officials are trying to convince the Irvine Symphony Orchestra and the Irvine Conservatory of Music to relocate to Stanton.

Eric Wright, the orchestra’s director, said the group is seriously considering making the move--as well as changing its name to the Stanton Symphony Orchestra--if the town will provide a permanent home.

“We have always had to go to Costa Mesa or Pasadena to see a nice musical performance,” Councilman Harry Dotson said. Now, he hopes to see a full-scale orchestra performing in the city’s parks.

The orchestra and the conservatory have been practicing and conducting music lessons in their Santa Ana quarters while they search for a permanent location. They must leave this year when their lease expires.

For their part, the Kingsmen said they would be willing to share their practice space on Beach Boulevard with the other two musical groups.

They also have agreed to share their bingo proceeds with the orchestra and the conservatory. The City Council recently gave the Kingsmen permission to expand its games on the condition they would share proceeds with other community groups.

Councilman David John Shawver, who lobbied for extending the Kingsmen’s bingo license and is now working on getting the Irvine Symphony to come to town, hopes this year could be the beginning of a new identity for Stanton.

“It will be great if it all comes together,” he said. “I think it would create a lot of pride in the community.”