THE CROWD:

An astounding $1,060,000 was raised March 15 benefiting the Orange County High School of the Arts.

The 2008 gala, “A Night At The Copacabana,” was headlined by major sponsors Ambassador George Argyros and his wife, Julia, of Newport Beach. A lively and generous crowd of more than 600 friends and family members converged upon the Hyatt Regency Irvine for the black-tie affair.

Each year, the school must raise in excess of $4 million to support its arts education programs. The figure breaks down to approximately $2,800 per student in attendance.

Major donors of the night, in addition to the Argyros family, included gifts from Paul and Marybelle Musco, John and Sandy Segerstrom Daniels, Paul and Daranne Folino, Bill and Patti Bloomfield, Robert and Carole Follman, Larry and Debbie Bridges, and George and Micki Rach.

The evening at the Hyatt featured both silent and live auctions and a show featuring students from all 11 arts conservatory departments at the school.

A cast of some 200 talented young performers sang and danced their hearts out, backed up by the school’s Ambassador Jazz Orchestra.

Students performing standards including “Get Happy,” “Luck Be A Lady” and others had the audience in the palm of their hands.

Julia Argyros commented, “The talented dedication of the aspiring young artists is absolutely remarkable,” adding, “We continue to be impressed by their brilliant artistry and their extraordinary professionalism.”

The committee assisting George and Julia planning the party included Jerry Mandel, Susan Samueli, Raj Bhathal, Donald Kennedy, Rick Muth, Kate Peters, Sally Segerstrom, Ted Smith, Francisco Ayala and Douglas Simalo, to name only a few of the Orange County leaders involved with the school.

Spotted in the crowd were Sherry and Ralph Opacic, president of the school, and other members of the staff including Russell Stern and John Vestri.

Also supporting the school were Chris Elftman, Lewis Webb, Bob Bassett, Peter Keller, Carl St. Clair, Jo Ellen Allen, Bruce Chapman, Kevin Tiber, Joyce Tucker, Martin Hubbard, Noey Loria and Cindy Boragno. An O.C. “A” list to be sure.

Established in 1987, the Orange County High School of the Arts has a current enrollment of 1,350 students in grades seven through 12.

In addition to its acclaimed arts program, the school is one of the top academic schools in California, ranking in the 90th percentile, and is one of the highest-ranking high schools in Orange County.

It is also the only program of its kind offering tuition-free academic and arts education to students from all over Southern California.

The school relies totally on private and corporate donations, making the recent gala its biggest fundraiser of the year.

For more information on the Orange County High School of the Arts, please call (714) 560-0900.

THE CROWD runs Thursdays and Saturdays.