BRIEFLY IN DATEBOOK

Three Newport Beach restaurants received the 2001 AAA Four Diamond

Award, as did more than 70 restaurants and hotels in Southern California.

Five Crowns restaurant landed the award for the 11th year, The Ritz

Restaurant & Garden for the eighth year and the Pavilion at the Four

Seasons Hotel for the seventh year. AAA’s Diamond rating program is a

hotel and restaurant review system that uses specially trained full-time

filed representatives.

Go to New York, London with SCR

The South Coast Repertory is offering tour packages this holiday

season, organized by Breakaway Tours, to theaters in New York and London.

The London trip will take place Dec. 27 through Jan. 3. The tour will

include round-trip air fare from Los Angeles, seven days and six nights

in first-class hotels with a full English breakfast each day and four

theater productions, including “The Lion King” and “The Witches of

Eastwick.” Guided walking tours to Windsor Castle, Stratford-upon-Avon,

Shakespeare’s Globe Theater, the Theater Royal Drury Lane and the Royal

National Theater are included. Cost is $2,195, which includes a London

transport pass and all taxes.

The New York trip will take place from Dec. 27 through Jan. 2,

including round-trip air fare from Orange County, seven days and six

nights in first-class hotels, a welcome dinner and three Broadway shows,

including “Aida” and “The Full Monty.” There will be a lunch at

Tavern-on-the-Green, breakfast and talk at The Player’s and guided

walking tours of Ellis Island, the Lincoln Center and the Apollo Theater.

Cost is $1,995, which includes a New York City transportation pass and

all applicable taxes.

Information: (714) 708-5521.

Audition for tickets to ‘Rent’ musical

Aspiring Orange County vocalists can sing their way to free tickets to

the opening-night performance of the musical “Rent,” as the Orange County

Performing Arts Center holds a special Audition for Tickets contest.

The event is co-sponsored by radio station KMXN-FM (94.3) at The Block

at Orange.

Contestants will be asked to sing the opening few bars of the show’s

hit song “Seasons of Love” at 3 p.m. Nov. 11 at The Block, 1 West City

Blvd., Orange. The winner will get two orchestra level seats for the Dec.

26 opening-night performance at 10 p.m. at the Center, 600 Town Center

Drive, Costa Mesa. Contestants and members of the audience will receive

T-shirts, CDs or special “Rent” memorabilia. Information: (714) 556-2122.