THE CROWD

B.W. Cook

The most venerable and long-standing Christmas celebration on the

Orange Coast will return for a 52nd annual gathering Nov. 30 at the

Newport Harbor Yacht Club. The Candy Cane Ball, produced and sponsored by

the Junior Auxiliary of the Assistance League of Newport-Mesa, invites

the community to partake in a glittering holiday evening that has been a

tradition for more than five decades.

Cam Bryson, Kate Carvelli and Sandy DeYoung will chair the candlelight

gala that will once again feature one of the most spectacular silent and

live auction opportunities of the holiday season. Of special note,

Newport Beach’s own celebrity car dealer Danny McKenna will offer a 2002

Volkswagen Beetle to be drawn from a collection of $100 ticket donations.

Event chairs report that no more than 500 tickets will be sold, and

proceeds will be used to support Assistance League programs, including

the Children’s Dental Health Center, Kids on the Block and Operation

School Bell.

Tickets for the Volkswagen opportunity drawing, as well as the few

remaining tickets to the Candy Cane Ball, offered at $150 per person, may

be reserved by calling Charyl Butterworth at (949) 645-6929.

* * *

A magnificent cocktail supper was hosted by Morton’s of Chicago on

behalf of the patrons of the upcoming Candlelight Concert in support of

the Orange County Performing Arts Center.

The glamorous Cerise Feeley, wearing a chic cocktail dress by Donna

Karan that was dramatically cut off one shoulder, welcomed the society

crush of major donors who came to sample the sizzling steaks and frosted

martinis featuring Kettle One vodka, another of the major corporate

sponsors of the Center.

Feeley and her husband, Larry, joined Newport-Mesa notables, including

Irene and Bill Matthews, Patti and Jim Edwards, Gloria and Irwin Gellman,

Ann Van Ausdeln, Mary Jean Simpkins, and Cynthia Nolet. Morton’s manager

J.C. Clow shook hands with Henry and Elizabeth Segerstrom and Orange

County Performing Arts Center boss Jerry Mandel and his wife, Whitney.

Mandel joined the jazz entertainers, led by Jeff Gonzolas, to play his

saxophone for the crowd.

Along with a spectacular dinner buffet, an exhibition of vintage art

deco jewelry was presented under glass from the House of Butterfield.

Candlelight Concert chairwomen Patricia Marshall and Marsha Anderson were

all smiles at this pre-event reception staged for Candlelight Concert

benefactors who will converge upon the Center on Dec. 7 to participate in

what has become the most glorious holiday party of the season on the

Orange Coast, raising more than $1 million for the Center.

* * *

Get ready for “The Nutcracker” at the Irvine Barclay Theatre, debuting

Dec. 14 and running through Christmas Eve. Molly Lynch, artistic director

and visionary behind Ballet Pacifica, will present the holiday classic

with the support of Southern California’s very own ballet company.

Lynch reports that dance enthusiasts are also creating a support wing

for Ballet Pacifica that will be known as The Guild. Since its inception

only two months ago, more than 50 local families have become Guild

members, committing to fund-raising, performance staffing and

organizational support for the local ballet company.

Assistance from this new guild will enable Ballet Pacifica to keep

ticket prices affordable, enabling the dance company to reach a diverse

audience all throughout the performance season. Founding Guild members

for Ballet Pacifica include Gayle and Bill Bullock, Barbara and Mike

Danzi, Susan and Mark Frazier, Yvonne and David Riley, Pamela and Bill

Shue, and Janet and Jim Stoneman.

For ticket information on “The Nutcracker,” call (949) 854-4646.

* * *

The Costa Mesa office of Wilmington Trust opened with a cocktail

reception and a viewing of selections from the Wilmington Trust art

collection.

Financial and cultural community leaders gathered at the Center Club

in Costa Mesa for an evening program hosted by Wilmington Trust officers

Nella Webster, Alan Bonde and Ted Cecela Jr.

It was the first-ever West Coast viewing of rare American paintings

from the Brandywine School that are part of the Wilmington Trust

collection. The historic paintings delighted the local crowd who had come

to learn more about this East Coast financial arm, which was founded in

1903 to manage the Du Pont family fortune.

Additional Costa Mesa executives on hand for the celebration included

Frank Dohn, Anne McInnis, Bryan Schoenle, H. Belin Robertson III, Nadine

Black and Maria DuBry.

* THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.