B.W. COOK -- The Crowd

She’s cool. She’s irreverent. She’s soo mellow. She’s Diana Krall,

Grammy Award-winning jazz pianist and song-stylist who began her career

tinkling the ivories at The Westin South Coast Plaza Hotel bar in Costa

Mesa some 10 years ago. Krall headlined the 28th annual Candlelight

Concert, dinner and super-fund-raiser last week at The Orange County

Performing Arts Center.

“I’m still just a saloon singer,” whispered Krall in her sultry-raspy

voice. “I just play bigger rooms,” she added as Center President Jerry

Mandel introduced the artist to the glittering assemblage in Segerstrom

Hall following Krall’s private encore performance for 460 elite guests of

“Candlelight,” donating a substantial $1-million plus in support of

Center programs.

Not all donors are equal. Candlelight Concert, in recent years, has

taken on a pecking order within the Orange County social hierarchy based

on financial giving. Organizers set the main stage with 43 round tables

and the fund-raising begins. The big givers sit center stage, with one

table smack in the middle fetching $100,000. A cluster of eight, $50,000

tables surround the “Daddy Warbucks,” with the remainder of the tables

selling at $25,000. Tables are set with places for 12, or sometimes 12,

guests. This year’s major donor was Richard Engel, and his contribution

underwrote the performance of Diana Krall, which was just as cool as her

rendition of “Cry Me A River” -- a cool $100,000 fee for an hour of song,

backed-up by a three-piece combo. Krall and a personal guest joined Engel

and his entourage at the head table for dinner following the concert.

Also in the Engel party were Wendy and Doc McGhee, Nadia and Bryan

Corlette, Ann and Richard Muhlhauser, Mark and Cindy Angelich and Joyce

Parrish.

Among the additional major benefactors were Charles and Twyla Martin,

General William and Willa Dean Lyon, Zee Allred, Henry and Elizabeth

Segerstrom, Sandra Segerstrom and John Daniels, Jean and Tim Weiss, Ellie

and Mike Gordon, Susan and Henry Samueli, Barbara and Mark Johnson, Dotti

Stillwell and president of The Center, Roger Kirwan and his bride, Gail,

who was exceptionally elegant in a floor-length silk taffeta, beaded

gown.

It was an evening for dressing “to kill.” Carole Follman, wife of

Robert Follman, was drop-dead gorgeous in a gold satin sheath inspired by

the Hollywood glamour of the 1930’s. Art deco fashion and lifestyle was

the theme of the evening selected by Chairwoman Patricia Ann Marshall,

attending with husband Robert Marshall. Patricia Ann was also dressed to

impress for the evening in a 1930s inspired gown of body-forming purple

velvet, accented by sparkling diamond and amethyst jewels to compliment

the look. The socialite chairwoman had her platinum blond hair styled a

la Carol Lombard, as the buzz circled the party over her all-out fashion

statement.

“I wanted an art deco theme to recreate an era that I believe

exemplified the ultimate level of taste and sophistication,” offered

Marshall, taking the podium in Segerstrom Hall.

Marshall joined her co-chair Marsha Anderson to address the donors

following Krall’s performance and prior to unveiling the lavish dinner

setting behind the curtain on the main stage of the massive theater. The

set design talents of Paramont Studios art director Jim Mees were called

upon to create Marshall’s deco-inspired mood. Mees, who has worked in

Orange County on a number of major event projects in recent years, began

the dinner with a film clip of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers dancing

“cheek to cheek” on an enormous scrim that backed the burgundy velvet

drapes of the Segerstrom stage. As the clip ended, the scrim rose

revealing the dinner setting replete with enormous glass urns adorning

every table boasting fragrant floating gardenias sharing space with

flickering votive candles. There were so many floating gardenias that

their fragrance actually permeated the cavernous stage. The table

settings were ultra-ultra, with crystal, silver and china carefully

selected to coordinate with the overall theme. Silver painted Chivari

chairs surrounded the round tables, and Mees even created a raised

platform around the perimeter of the stage, elevating outer tables to

give the impression of levels reminiscent of night clubs of a bygone era.

Catering was first class, handled by The Four Seasons Hotel, Newport

Beach and local merchants Mont Blanc and Frette provided table favors.

As a devilish chocolate dessert was served, the John Alexander Singers

of the Pacific Chorale inspired the crowd with holiday selections. The

“nightcap” reception, as it is known, took the party into the early

morning hours as more than 200 of the guests stayed to dance, to mingle

and to toast another incredible year at The Center. Art Deco and his

Society Orchestra played until 1 a.m., and they could have danced all

night.

The million dollar crowd also featured the glamorous presence of

Cerise Feeley and husband Larry, Kelly and Duane Roberts, Suki and Randy

McCardle, Anton and Jennifer Segerstrom, Renee and Sidney DuPont, Brian

Kraft, Keith Coplan, Stacey and Henry Nicholas, Sandi and Ron Simon,

Ginger and Tony Allen, Dave Rothenbuehler, Tom and Joyce Tucker,

Catherine and Jim Emmi, Elizabeth Vincent and Al and Penny Newman.

Photo captions

1. Diana Krall with Henry and Elizabeth Segerstrom.

2. Marsha and Darrell Anderson

3. Patricia Ann and Bob Marshall.

4. Catherine and Jim Emmi.

5. Larry and Cerise Feeley.