Curtain is raised on the Julianne Argyros Stage

The curtain was raised on the Julianne Argyros Stage last Friday

evening at South Coast Repertory’s Folino Theatre Center. Ambassador

George Argyros, President Bush’s representative in Spain, and wife

Julianne appeared together on the new stage named in her honor to

welcome friends, family and dignitaries to what was a stellar evening

filled with nostalgia, as well as dreams come true.

George and Julianne charmed the crowd with their irreverent and

personal mix of humor and charm, what has been called by some the

Orange County version of the late George Burns and Gracie Allen.

After a speech, Julianne pulled a tassel, and the curtain rose for

the very first time as she proclaimed that the theater was “the most

beautiful in the entire world, and not just because it was named

after me.”

Ambassador Argyros had the crowd roaring as he joked about his

wife’s name. The back-story, for those unfamiliar, is that Julianne

Argyros was Judie Argyros for some 40 years. All of a sudden, last

year, when George became ambassador to Spain, Judie became Julianne.

Along the way, from time to time, she was also known as Julia.

Those lacking in kindness of spirit immediately rushed to comment

that the wife of the new ambassador was putting on airs. Julianne is

her real name, with both Judie and Julia being derivatives. Insiders

report that she changed her name back to the original because she did

not like the way that Judie was pronounced in Spain, as the “J” is

pronounced more like a “T,” resulting in the name sounding like

“Tootie.” Can you blame her?

So, Ambassador Argyros, who has the Ronald Reagan gift of infusing

self-deprecating humor in his public speeches, interjected, “I’m so

confused about your name, I don’t know what to call you anymore.”

After the laughter, George and Julianne waxed nostalgic about the

early days of South Coast Repertory and their personal involvement

for more than 30 years with the local cultural phenomenon.

After all the pomp and circumstance, the curtain rose on the world

premiere of playwright Richard Greenberg’s “The Violet Hour.” The

play received raves from the local crowd, including opening night

revelers Sue and Ralph Stern, Betty and S.L. Huang, Bobbi and Jerry

Dauderman, Sadie and Brian Finnegan, Katie Wheeler, Kathy and Ron

Merriman, and Bette and Wiley Aitken.

The production was underwritten by Lido Isle’s Elaine and Martin

Weinberg and The Citigroup Private Bank, represented at the premiere

by Michael Davis.

Prior to the performance, the crowd gathered at the Westin South

Coast Plaza Hotel for cocktails and dinner. They were welcomed by SCR

board President Timothy Weiss. Repertory artistic directors and

founders David Emmes and Martin Benson thanked the audience for their

support.

David Emmes said of Julianne and George Argyros, “They have always

shared our vision and have supported SCR with personal leadership and

generosity. Julianne’s enthusiasm and personal involvement has never

waned.”

Later in the evening, over dessert, playwright Greenberg and

director Evan Yionoulis joined Argyros family members George Argyros

Jr. and Stephanie Argyros Gehl, along with Chapman University

President Jim Doti and his wife, Lynne Pierson Doti, Byron and Ronnie

Allumbaugh and Darrell and Marsha Anderson for a little late-night

mingling to cap off an exceptional “first night” at the Julianne

Argyros Stage.

* THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.