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.
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