OUR LAGUNA:Laguna glams up for gala

The Festival of Arts rolled out the red carpet Saturday for celebrities and supporters.

About 2,800 guests attended the festival’s Diamond Anniversary Gala, which raised more than $200,000 earmarked — in this case a good thing — for improvements to the grounds.

“The festival’s building fund will be better equipped to continue the refurbishing of our historic home here in Laguna Beach — which is essential for these cherished institutions to flourish, not only for the next 75 years, but well beyond,” festival President Anita Mangels said.

Television actress Valerie Bertinelli hosted the 9th annual benefit, which included a sumptuous dinner catered by Tivoli Terrace, and an almost-last look at the 2007 Pageant of the Masters. The show closed this week.

“I am actually no stranger to the life of an artist,” Bertinelli said. “My mother was, and still is, an artist. Her brilliant paintings and sketches adorn my walls today, in fact.

“So tonight, surrounded by all the wonderful art displays on the festival grounds, I can actually feel that same sense of amazement at how talent and determination can transform an artist’s materials into something of lasting beauty.

“It’s also helped me to appreciate what an important role the festival plays in providing a public showcase for so many gifted artists

and for so many years.”

The first festival was held in 1931.

A year later, the pageant debuted and has stayed evergreen. The theme this year was an appropriate “Young at Heart,” for which pageant Director Dee Dee (Diane) Challis Davy had several sources of inspiration: the 1950s Frank Sinatra recording of the same name and another song, “You Make Me Feel So Young,” not to mention her fondness for retired festival board member David Young.

“No one will ever find the fountain of youth, but art has the ability to capture and preserve childhood’s sense of innocence and wonderment and that can continue to spark our own creativity,” Challis Davy said.

The first pageant was a publicity stunt to draw attention to the second art exhibit. Local volunteers, dressed as characters in famous works of art “Whistler’s Mother”, “Mona Lisa” and “Atlas,” paraded down the highway and later posed in a tiny set as “Tableaux Vivants,” or life imitating art.

It was standing room only — literally. No seating was provided.

For the past several years, seats at the pageant have been sold out — as was the gala.

“We sell every ticket to the gala,” festival Event Coordinator Susan Davis said Saturday. “We couldn’t get another body in here.”

The guest list included celebs: 1948 Olympics Diving Gold Medalist Dr. Sammy Lee; 1976 Olympian Brian Goodell, winner of a gold medal in swimming; red carpet favorite Joe Mantegna, recently nominated for a Best Supporting Actor in a Miniseries for his role in “The Starter Wife,” his daughter, Gina, and niece Alexis Peters, both actresses — Gina appeared as “Gina” in “13 Going on 30” and Alexis plays “Ingrid” on USA’s “Grendel.”

Donna Mills, star of “Knott’s Landing,” dined with Friends of the Library President Martha Lydick, Helen Lotus, Laguna Beach County Water District General Manager Renae Hinchey and Michelle Boyd — Kelly was off on his first deep sea fishing trip in 18 months.

Other celebrities included Joshua Malina, who plays “Howard Meeks” on “Numb3rs” and starred as the delightful “Will Bailey” on “The West Wing;” Eva LaRue, series regular on CSI; Cindy Ambuehl, who plays “Renee Petersen” on “JAG;” LeVar Burton, a 20-year veteran of “Star Trek” productions; Kate Flannery, best known for her recurring role as “Meredith Palmer” in “The Office;” stage and screen star Anne Jeffreys; Broadway and night club entertainer Roslyn Kind, sister of Barbra Streisand; Eva Tamargo, whose film credits include “Random Hearts” with Harrison Ford and currently seen as “Pilar Lopez-Fitzgerald” on the daytime series, “Passions.”

“Brady Bunch” co-stars Florence Henderson and Laguna’s own Eve Plumb shared the red carpet spotlight, for media interviews.

Looking radiant in a creamy white pants suit, Plumb then strolled the grounds with dishy husband, Ken Pace.

Gary and Arts Commission Chair Nancy Beverage had the pleasure of dining with pageant musical director and composer Richard Henn. The conversation was informative, as well as scintillating.

“The pageant has probably the largest pit orchestra anywhere in the country now,” said Henn, who is just concluding his 29th consecutive year wielding the festival baton.

“Look at Broadway. You’re lucky if you get 18 musicians. The festival should be applauded for keeping a live show.”

Henn auditions all the musicians for the show, as well as composing and scoring the music so it coordinates with the lighting, the narration and whatever Challis Davy devises to entertain the audience.

Gala hostess Bertinelli was seated for dinner with Mangles, glammed up for the event in a black lace and silk dress, accessorized with a necklace of amethysts set in silver that belonged to Ann Quilter’s mother, earrings designed by festival exhibitor Laura Carley and shoes from Wearable Art in Laguna Canyon.

Council members did the city proud as fashionistas.

Mayor Toni Iseman wore a rosy, damask jacket with a netted scarf, ombre stripped from rose to lavender, striking with her red hair. Mayor Pro Tem Jane Egly was elegantly clad in a bamboo-colored dress and coat, with matching high heeled sandals. Councilwoman Elizabeth Schneider chose a vintage plaid dress by Lily Rubin, one of her favorite designers, gold and vinyl sandals and a gold cord headband to complement her “Alice in Wonderland” hair style.

Faye Baglin, wife of festival board member and former Councilman Wayne Baglin, wore white cotton pants, topped with a white, embroidered top from girlsskirtmission.com, which supports women’s businesses in India.