B.W. COOK -- The Crowd

The red carpet was rolled out to the curbside valet station. Arriving

guests came for sunset cocktails, followed by dinner, awards and a

private performance at the Orange County Performing Arts Center as the

first annual Fire Bird Dinner unfolded on the evening of Sept. 18.

Some 177 citizens devoted to the performing arts in Orange County

descended upon the center for the dinner hosted by center chairman Roger

Kirwan and his wife, Gail. In his disarmingly personal style, Kirwan, who

made his fortune in the field of consumer lending, charmed the gathering

with his warm wit and a few gentle barbs.

Introducing his predecessor, former center chairman Mark Chapin

Johnson, Kirwan paused and reflected on the task at hand -- to raise

millions of dollars for the center and its expansion.

“Oh, there are so many reasons I love this responsibility,” Kirwan

jested as the crowd applauded, knowing full well just how much he does in

fact love the challenge. “I feel very strongly that those of us who’ve

been successful have a real obligation to give back.”

And that was the theme of the dinner, which honored distinguished

donors who have given back to the community through the center.

The evening was centered around a tribute to the late Renee

Segerstrom, the former wife of center benefactor Henry Segerstrom. It was

Renee Segerstrom’s artistic vision that brought the Fire Bird sculpture

to adorn the front of the performing arts complex’s edifice.

And under the glowing red and silver wings of the massive contemporary

work of art, dinner was served by the Four Seasons Hotel dining staff

under the culinary direction of chef Michel Pieton, as center president

Jerry Mandel joined Kirwan in presenting awards to the guests who had

come to be so honored.

“The arts help us to explore the human condition, nourish the soul and

find beauty in the world,” said patrons Henry and Susan Samueli.

The handsome young couple has taken the spotlight for their generous

support of Orange County civic, educational, cultural and scientific

endeavors in recent months. The largess of the Samueli involvement is in

direct proportion to the rise of Samueli’s Irvine-based corporation,

Broadcom, a leader in the microelectronics industry.

Presently, Broadcom is ranked as Orange County’s most valuable public

company. The Samuelis are fast becoming Orange County’s most talked about

philanthropists.

With grace and modesty, they approached the podium to accept their

accolades from Kirwan for their support of the center. Susan Samueli wore

a dinner dress of layered gray silk, ruffled at the hem line -- feminine

yet fashion forward.

Henry Samueli, looking even younger in person than in photographs,

bowed his head to avoid the limelight. All eyes, both male and female

followed them across the room.

In a very real sense, this couple represents a new generation of

Orange County activists. They are not from the old school. They were not

born here, and they have different ties, views, and purpose than the

former agri/real estate/development business-based pioneers of the

region. And this new blood runs hot, very hot, as this region grows and

changes and, quite frankly, becomes a community that is elevated by a

more intellectual view of life.

Joining the Samuelis were equally ardent patrons Sherry and Parker

Kennedy. The president of The First American Financial Corp. and its

principal subsidiary First American Title Insurance Co., Kennedy leads an

enterprise considered among the “top ten list of America’s most admired

companies” by Fortune magazine.

As the past chairman of The Bowers Museum of Cultural Art, Kennedy and

his wife approached the podium, also with tremendous grace, to accept

their honors.

“You can’t have a strong community anywhere without an emphasis on the

arts,” they said.

Also among the crowd of honored guests were Karen and Steve Tsubota,

Barbara and Mark Chapin Johnson, Jeanette Segerstrom and her family,

including Ted Segerstrom, Sally Segerstrom, Sandy and John Daniels,

Louise Scott, and Steve and Susie Perry.

Terry and George Schreyer, major supporters of the center’s dance

programs, joined Carole and Robert Follman front and center for warm

applause. Carmela and Ben Du, the bicoastal Tara and David Troob, Carla

Liggett, Mary Reinhold, Newport’s Maralou and Jerry Harrington, Diane and

Harry Johnson, Niles Gates, Cynthia and Paul Stanislaw, Margaret and

Lewis Webb, Nora Hester and daughter Marilyn Hester Gianulias, and the

elegant newlywed couple Heidi and Nick Shahrestany were all on hand to

offer the center their support and to accept thanks from a grateful

community.

The entire event was underwritten by Tiffany and Company, represented

by Jo Ellen Qualls and her business associate, Michael Botsko, from the

South Coast Plaza store.

As the Four Seasons staff served a formal dinner that began with a

salad of romaine and sun-dried tomatoes dressed with a yellow tomato

vinaigrette, followed by Chilean sea bass and a bittersweet chocolate

mousse bombe with a Fire Bird-inspired design on the plate, guests table

hopped to visit in the intimate setting, transformed by orchid and rose

covered tables set with flickering candlelight.

Ronnie Allumbaugh looked smashing in her feather-trimmed dinner suit.

“I’m molting,” she mused as she took the arm of husband Byron

Allumbaugh.

Vesta Curry dazzled with her pink, rhinestone-encrusted turban. Curry

joined friend Elizabeth Vincent for the dinner. Both Vincent and Curry

are long time arts supporters with considerable track records of

community leadership and civic involvement.

Penny and Lionel Newman, Pamela and Malcolm Paul, Elaine Redfield,

Michelle Rohe, Pat Rypinski, Donna Phelps, Nancy Baldwin, Gini and Bob

Robins, Sandi and Ron Simon, Dotti Stillwell, Valerie and Bob Wahler,

Carol and Kent Wilken, Madeline and Len Zuckerman, and Tom and Elizabeth

Tierney were among the patrons supporting the event.

“The center is the jewel of this community,” shared Carol Follman.

Indeed.

* THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.