Murder mystery adds intrigue to fund-raiser

Whitney Blain reports that the final chapter of the Pacific

Chorale’s wild murder mystery game has ended. The guilty are behind

bars. Well, at least some of them. The exceptionally engaging Mary

Lyons, one of the dominant sponsors of the Pacific Chorale, joined

with her husband, Phil, in opening their storybook home beside

Newport Harbor to stage the murder mystery fund-raiser. Billed as

“Murder at the Lighthouse III: The Final Chapter,” the Lyons family

welcomed an enormous crowd for the early summer Saturday evening romp

on the spectacular harborfront grounds.

Blain reports that many of Orange County’s leading citizens were

prime suspects as the murder trail unraveled. Included in the list of

the suspected were Dean Corey, executive director of the Philharmonic

Society of Orange County; John Forsyte, president of the Pacific

Symphony Orchestra; Martin Hubbard, executive director of Opera

Pacific; Judith Morr, executive vice president of the Orange County

Performing Arts Center; Ralph Opacic, president of Orange County High

School of the Arts; Mel Rogers, president of KOCE-TV; Daniel Stekol,

executive director of Imagination Celebration; and Karin Schnell,

director of programs and education for Arts Orange County.

With so many suspects of such high visibility, there must also be

a noteworthy victim. John Alexander, leader of the Pacific Chorale

was “done-in” by his peers!

Janice Johnson chaired the massive undertaking, no pun intended.

The gracious local activist and her husband, Roger Johnson, were

joined by a committee of dedicated Pacific Chorale supporters that

included Elizabeth and John Stahr, Gloria and Irwin Gellman,

Catherine and Jim Emmi, Dardie Dunlap, Carol and Kent Wilken, and the

vivacious Vesta Curry, our own local queen of the millinery.

Anne B. Nutt, local philanthropist, was involved, as were Ellie

Gordon and Helen Shanbrom. Rob Esterley of Esterley Design lent his

expertise to the affair, with additional support coming from the chic

Barbara Trainor, impeccably dressed to kill, and Marlene Hamontree,

always a knockout. Margo Chamberlin was a femme fatale with perfect

blond hair piled high on her head to conceal a possible murder

weapon.

An impressive $90,000 was raised, benefiting Pacific Chorale’s

award-winning performances and music education programs. Assisting in

the final success was the upscale pearl merchant Mikimoto, donating

an elegant “Princess Grace” pearl necklace valued at $5,000 to the

auction. Another generous donor was the Odyssey Group, purveyors of

famous memorabilia, providing elements from such celebrated lives as

Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington and

Itzhak Perlman. Very musical indeed.

Catering was superb, by Creme de la creme, as always. Perfect for

a wake. Even if the victim was only pretending to be dead.

* THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.