South Coast to shake it up at annual gala

B.W. COOK

South Coast Repertory’s 2004 gala ball is set to unfold Sept. 11 at

the Hyatt Regency Resort in Huntington Beach.

The black-tie affair is the big night for Costa Mesa-based SCR,

and it will be chaired this season by the lovely Aletha Anderson.

Organizers are calling the event “Playing To A Muse,” and they are

quoting the master William Shakespeare ... liberally.

“O for a muse of fire, that would ascend the brightest heaven of

invention, A kingdom for a stage, princes to act, and monarchs to

behold the swelling scene.”

Henry V is not expected to attend the party, but SCR benefactor

Henry Segerstrom and his chic wife Elizabeth will hopefully grace the

ballroom. Anderson’s committee of volunteers are putting final

touches on the SCR ball, which will launch the 2005 Orange County

social season. They include: Julianne and George Argyros, Barbara and

Alex Bowie, Dee and Larry Higby, Rebecca and Carl McLarand, Ellen and

Edmond Olivier de Vezin, Sue and Ralph Stern and Nancy and George

Wall, to name a few.

The very charitable and community conscious Jeff Bennett, vice

president of Tiffany & Co. at South Coast Plaza, will join with the

equally community-

dedicated Jerry Mandel, president of the Orange County Performing

Arts Center, to present a very special exhibit of jewels from the

noted jewelry designer Jean Schlumberger. Pierce MacGuire, director

of the Schlumbeger Collection, will fly in from New York to address

the crowd of OCPAC donors, who will assemble over cocktails Sept. 9

in the Tiffany store for the special event.

It’s all a prelude to the upcoming Fire Bird dinner hosted by the

center to honor very special local citizen donors for significant

contributions to the performing arts in Orange County.

In other high fashion news, the social crowd will team up with

OCPAC to support “A Love Affair With Shoes,” hosted by Massimo

Ferragamo, the chairman of Salvatore Ferragamo USA. The special

exhibit will debut Sept. 30 in the Jewel Court of South Coast Plaza

and will feature a display of “stars and the shoes they adored.” This

might require riot control police to keep back the throngs of

shoe-obsessed Orange County women (and men).

It’s all part of the SCP showcase of “Italian Luxury and Design,”

which will run from Sept. 30 through Oct. 24 at the retail resort

known the world over.

Newport’s Mary Blake shared that she is working to promote a

special evening Oct. 30 on behalf of a special place known as Mary’s

Shelter, which serves abused women and children. Blake reports that

the event is being called the “Harvest Moon Serenade Dinner Dance”

and will take place at the fabulous new Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club,

thanks to the generosity of Orange County citizens Tony and Melinda

Moiso. The evening will feature entertainment from the Mark Davidson

Trio. For ticket information, call (714) 730-0930.

* THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.