The Crowd: Saturday night fever for SCR
As the expression goes, “It takes a village.” For more than half a century, the village of Orange County has rallied behind South Coast Repertory. The results of this decades-long commitment have been nothing less than “magical.” Appropriately, the 2014 SCR gala, which unfolded on the starry night of Sept. 13 on the theater’s Costa Mesa campus, was billed as “Grand Illusions, An Evening of Extraordinary Things.” The theme of the spectacular event was borrowed from SCR’s production of “The Tempest,” which opened the theater’s 2014-15 season. The production featured the magic of Teller, and magical moments were infused throughout the 2014 gala.
A significant part of the SCR story is the dedication of local citizens who have stayed with founders David Emmes and Martin Benson from the get-go. One of those dedicated citizens is a gal named Olivia Johnson, who chaired the 51st-season gala with incredible style. The petite Johnson, married to husband Andy Johnson, has the energy of a nuclear power plant and a smile so bright and ever-present that it could guide ships to port in the night. Her party was flawless, impressive, classy and, most importantly, a load of fun. The crowd had a marvelous time, and best of all, they opened their wallets and donated in excess of $400,000 in support of the educational programs offered to the Orange County community at large by SCR.
The crowd, which included generous donors Wylie and Bette Aitken, George and best-dressed-of-the-night Julianne Argyros, stunning in a classic evening ensemble of periwinkle blue chiffon palazzo evening pants and lace top, Larry and president of the SCR board Sophie Cripe, Edward and Frances Frankel, Ben and Natalie Hirshman, and Bill and Carolyn Klein all entered the gala strolling down a white-carpeted “hall of mirrors.” They arrived in a reception area decorated with a sculptured harp installation, which soared over the patrons’ heads as the harpist played opening music with the band “String Theory.” Champagne flowed, courtesy of Le Grand Courtâge, along with the signature drink of the night, billed as a “smoke and mirrors” martini by Titos Handmade Vodka.
Guests including David and Darrelleyn Mellelli, John and Sue Murphy, Carl Neisser, John and Kathy Redfield, Mel and Marcia Rogers, Tom Rogers and Sally Anderson, Anton and Jennifer Segerstrom, Bruce and Lynn Silverman, and Allan and Olivia Slutzky moved from the reception area into the theater. Tributes were bestowed, speeches were made, and then surprise guest of the night Mac King, acclaimed by Magic Magazine as the premiere comedy musician in the world today, thrilled the audience with his comedy magic show. The amazing magic of King is a staple at Harrah’s Casino and Hotel Las Vegas, where he has headlined for more than 14 years. SCR trustees Bill Weinberg and Julianne Argyros served as King’s muses on stage.
Dinner was served outside the theater under a billowing white tent lit by two grand, descending beaded chandeliers in an overall theme of black, white and mirrors. A three-course gala dinner was created and served by the Westin South Coast Plaza Hotel with wine parings courtesy of the Blue Water Grill Newport Beach. Of special note was the dessert, which consisted of a magnificent conch shell filled with chocolate mousse. The conch shell turned out to be an edible white chocolate creation, which was in itself a work of art and simply delicious. Even some of the most weight-conscious skinny ladies were observed nibbling on their shell.
The nibbling was permissible because, following dessert, the crowd was ready to dance. The gala committee, which had transformed the Argyros Stage into Club Argyros Disco for the night, passed out neon necklaces to patrons ready to burn off a few calories. Donors in the disco included Ron and Gail Soderling, Laurie Smits Staude, Sam and Tammy Tang, Richard and Jane Taylor, Jack and Barbara Tingley, Ernesto and Socorro Vasquez, Elaine, Marci and William Weinberg, John and Carolina Pritchard, and George and Mary Ann Wentworth. The sounds of the ‘70s were recreated, along with the moves of the period as performers, all dressed in white, moved to the disco beat on platforms high above the dance floor.
SCR dignitaries mingling with the crowd included Martin and Wendy Benson, Emmes, Paula Tomei and Marc Masterson, along with significant underwriters including Mary Beth Adderley, Patricia Ellis, Andy and Joan Fimiano, Damien and Yvonne Jordan, and Tim and Jean Weiss, to name only a few.
THE CROWD runs Fridays. B.W. Cook is editor of the Bay Window, the official publication of the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach.
