CHOC Follies comes to town

To celebrate a decade of theatrical fundraising, the CHOC Follies is moving to Costa Mesa.

After several years at the Grove Theater of Anaheim, the annual variety show ? which has raised over $2.5 million for Children’s Hospital of Orange County ? has relocated to the Orange County Performing Arts Center, where it will be staged for two performances Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon.

This year’s theme is “Fantom of the Follies ? A Farcical Frolic Through the Classic Tale,” and its guest star will be Lorna Luft, who recently performed at the center’s Founders Hall with a menu of musical selections made famous by her mother, the late Judy Garland.

Prolific novelist and Newport Beach resident Dean Koontz and his wife, Gerda, are celebrity sponsors for the benefit show.

Local volunteer performers, many of whom have trod the boards for CHOC several times in the past, include Marian Bergeson, Lauren Karg, Eve Kornyei and Judy Olson of Corona del Mar; Eileen Daniher, Randy Fine, Juliet Scheilein, Vito LaMorte, Chris Lawrence, Liz McNabb and Sallee Smith of Costa Mesa; Julia Argyros, Tim Bercovitz, Leslie Cancellieri, Dave Dixon, Jon Dorse, Christy Flesvig, Juliana Gambrell, Tony Gato, Victoria Groskreutz, Izzy Hirson, Honey Hostetler, Lauren Jolliffe, Mia Maffei, Diane Mondini, John Nepp, Patty Robles, Dale Skiles, Gail Soderling, Janet Terrell and Tim White, all of Newport Beach; and Mindy BurbanoStearns, Sandy Daniels, Gianna Drake Kerrison, Linda Lamitie, Kim Hauck and Kathleen Duffy of Newport Coast.

Director John Vaughn returns to stage the annual event. Gloria Zigner, who created the concept a decade ago, shares executive producer’s duties with Lois Augustine.

Curtain times for “Fantom of the Follies” will be 8 p.m. Satur- day and 2 p.m. Sunday. Prices are $75 and $50 for the evening performance and $65 and $35 for the matinee. If you’d like to party with the cast afterward, the tab jumps to $125.

Ticket reservations and more information may be obtained by calling the CHOC Foundation for Children at (714) 532-8690.