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.