The Crowd -- B.W. Cook
Nearly 100 underwriters have raised more than $100,000 supporting the
Sound of Music Guild of The Orange County Performing Arts Center. The
funds are earmarked for expenses associated with the gala dinner being
held this evening at The Four Seasons Hotel, Newport Beach, enabling the
guild to donate six-figure profits to The Center.
Last week, the generous donors were invited for cocktails and dinner
at Bayside Restaurant in Newport Beach. The crowd overflowed the bistro’s
bar, where Grey Goose Vodka underwrote a martini bar to compliment the
largess of the restaurant, which provided a lavish spread of hors
d’oeuvres including a magnificent smoked salmon display with all the
trimmings.
Sound of Music event chairwomen Patsy Marshall, escorted by her
husband Tim, and Diane Palumbo, escorted by her husband Jeff, greeted the
crush with the clink of martini glasses and plenty of hugs and good
wishes for a job well done. The major social event tonight will feature
actor Peter Fonda and has an “Easy Rider” theme in his honor. Also in the
cocktail crowd were Carol Dalton, underwriting chair, and her husband
Rick.
Within hours, Fonda and entourage will grace The Four Seasons to join
some 400 Sound of Music guests attired in leather, lace and more than the
imagination can handle for an evening of surprises. Fonda actually
arrived in town last evening, attending a cocktail reception for invited
VIPs.
Major support for the affair comes from Sound of Music President Sally
Crockett and her husband Randy. The very handsome Pelican Point couple
has been responsible for recharging the guild, doubling its membership
and quadrupling its fund-raising efforts.
Earlier in the social season, the Crocketts hosted a lavish
French-Asian dinner, which was also underwritten by Cartier and Caroline
Jones, the upscale French purveyor’s local South Coast Plaza
representative.
Sally Crockett “is a prime example of the power of the individual to
change the course of events,” said Ann Howard, one of Newport’s most
respected social doyennes, who also happens to be one of the most
glamorous and best-dressed women on the Orange Coast. “Before Sally, the
guild was on the decline. Membership had fallen, donations had dropped.
She has single-handedly turned it around bringing in new people with a
renewed purpose. She is a dynamo.”
Howard joined her charming and accomplished journalist husband Mike
for the Bayside underwriters reception. She will also be attending
tonight’s gala. The elegant hostess confided that she’ll be in fishnet
stockings and leather, and Mike will be wearing blue jeans, boots and
black tie.
Also instrumental in building a successful guild are the very
dedicated and generous Kathie and John Porter, who along with the
Crocketts have given of time and money to support The Center. The
Porter’s will join fellow donors Kelly and John Hague, Harriett and Sandy
Sandhu, and Arthur Voss for the Fonda event.
The success of the event will be in great part due to the
extraordinary efforts of auction co-chairs Kimberly Feinberg and Robin
Rae Lewis who procured, with assistance from guild members, 220 items to
go up for bid tonight with a combined value of $250,000. In addition,
corporate sponsorship from Cartier, Neiman Marcus, David Rickey, Zegna
and South Coast Plaza will ensure a major financial tally for the arts in
Orange County.
Additional Sound of Music underwriters supporting the Fonda
extravaganza are Jayne and Ed Munoz, Danni and Dan Good, Karen and Brett
Gregor, Tracy Martin, Elizabeth and Scott Hart, Heather and Brett
Hartstock, Lori and John Loftus, Martha Green, Darby Manclark, Kimberly
and Scott Matteson, Pamela and David Lowery, Paula and Michael Macko, and
Donna and Lorenzo Longo.
* THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.
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