B.W. COOK -- The Crowd

“Have you ever been in a grander home in Newport Beach?” asked Barbara

Magness, a member of the Sophisticates, a group of active women

supporting the Assessment Treatment Services Center.

Magness and her husband, Jay, were surveying the mansion of Jim and

Annamarie McGee in the posh coastal enclave of Pelican Hill. They were

joined by a host of fellow Sophisticates and friends of the charity

organization who had come to the McGee home for sunset cocktails and hors

d’oeuvres. The evening was created as the underwriter’s reception for

those financially supporting the upcoming Sophisticates’ spring designer

fashion show April 5 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Irvine.

Chaired by Lana Chandler and Debbie Mock, the annual event will

feature the fashions of Nordstrom, South Coast Plaza. Major underwriting

sponsors -- including Sandra Segerstrom Daniels, Susan Perry, Sally

Segerstrom, Jeannette Segerstrom, Nora Hester, and corporate donor

Mercedes-Benz, North America -- were recognized and applauded at the

McGee pre-event reception, chaired by Nili Stevens and Eve Kornyei.

More than 200 Newport-Mesa citizens enjoyed the grand setting on

Pelican Hill, exploring the expansive Italian villa that blends the

symmetrical style of Roman architect Andrea Palladio with very

contemporary sensibilities. An incredible granite-edged pool facing the

city and ocean view boasted flaming torches, waterfalls and dramatically

lighted sculpture under the night sky.

Gents strolled the grounds enjoying their cigars, as the ladies

sampled the fabulous food prepared and served by Jason’s Catering

Company. The Naples Chamber Ensemble filled the home with the joy of

strings, while some of the party-goers ducked into Jim McGee’s screening

room to catch the NCAA basketball tournament on the big screen.

The chamber orchestra drowned out the hooting and hollering coming

from the richly appointed viewing salon as USC went down in defeat to

Duke. The party did go on, however, in spite of the loss.

Local impresario Gloria Zigner, readying for her Children’s Hospital

Orange County Follies debut this Friday, worked the crowd to build

last-minute support for the local show. Zigner dashed off to rehearsal at

the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, where an enormous white tent

has been erected to house the production.

Fashionable interior designer Trudy White was also spotted in the

crowd chatting with Sophisticates Shari Ciko Brown, Cathy Lowden, Fran

Mulvania, Debbie Newmeyer, Petrina Noor and Harriet Sandhu.

Debbie and David Schweickert were in the mix, along with Anne and John

Wortmann, Carmen and Michael Christy, Brian and Denice Mock, treatment

center clinical director Grace Mucci, and a host of guests representing

Nordstrom, including Kim Cimino, Kylie Daiker, Julie Kuns, Yvonne Berry,

Ute Bonini, Michelle Kelly, Valerie Webster, Laura Nelson, and Penny

Newman, manager of the Nordstrom designer salon at South Coast Plaza.

Co-chair of the upcoming fashion event, Lana Chandler, made supporting

Nordstrom a priority for her fellow Sophisticates.

“We must support Penny Newman and Nordstrom. They support us in such a

generous way each year that it is only fair to send business in their

direction,” Chandler said. “Some people think that there is pressure to

spend a fortune in the store, when all that is necessary is for the

individual to shop in whatever is in their own comfortable personal

budget range just to let Nordstrom know that their efforts on behalf of

the Sophisticates are recognized.”

The April 5 show will begin with a silent auction at 10:30 a.m.,

followed by the fashion show and luncheon at noon.

For last-minute reservations, contact the treatment center at (949)

756-0993. Tickets are $100, with all proceeds going to support the family

counseling services of the treatment center in the community.