THE CROWD:

The fabulous Carol Iversen Lee, Newport Beach beauty with brains and the organizational skill of General Rommel, is spearheading the upcoming “Opening Night at the Symphony” set for Sept. 18.

The Pacific Symphony board is hosting a gala celebration to introduce Orange County to the William J. Gillespie Concert Organ, which was recently completed following a multiyear installation process in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. The multimillion-dollar instrument, designed specially for the Orange County concert hall, was created by C.B. Fisk, Inc.

Technicians have been refining the organ’s sound for more than a year. It will debut opening night as the symphony, led by conductor Carl , performs the Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3, utilizing the organ.

The grand night at the symphony will welcome organist Paul Jacobs, who will also perform the Bach Toccata and Fugue in addition to an original piece commissioned for the opening by Christopher Theofanidis, making its world premiere in the OC. The evening will be the first in the classic series for 2008-09 sponsored by the Hal and Jeanette Segerstrom Family Foundation.

Lee is co-chairing the evening with Linda Maggard and Pat Steinmann, with super-donor William Gillespie in the role of honorary chair. Gillespie, a Laguna Beach resident and heir to a family insurance fortune, is a private philanthropist who has been a major financial angel for the Orange County Performing Arts Center. He joins other arts angels including Sandy Segerstrom and John Daniels, Susie and Steve Perry, Rae and Ted Segerstrom and Sally Segerstrom in making the evening and the organ possible.

Lee and committee are busy creating a major social event in conjunction with the performance. A black-tie dinner celebration is slated for pre-concert revelry set to take place in the Samueli Theater. Following the concert, an after show reception will be thrown on the Argyros Terrace to make opening night complete.

The ladies are calling the party “Under the Sea,” and they are busy with final touches for the décor and entertainment. Movers and shakers involved include Newport’s lovely Susan Anderson, the very talented design guru Marcia Brashier, super donor Ellie Gordon, Shorecliffs’ ultra-elegant stock broker and businesswoman Gianna Kerrison, Newport Realtor to the stars Alison McCormick and longtime center donors and major arts advocates Pat Podlich, Michelle Rohe and Elizabeth Stahr. Also supporting the effort are the beautiful Diana Martin, Lynn Freeman, Catherine Emmi, Ruth Ann Evans, Reta Fishman and Newport Coast’s stunning social hostess transplanted from Texas, Fran Wittenberg Cashen.

Individual tickets to the affair are priced at $500, with table donations requesting $7,500 to $25,000. For more information and/or last-minute reservation requests, space permitting, please contact Ricki Shab at the Pacific Symphony office at (714) 876-2375.

The OC’s esteemed new scholar in residence, Erwin Chemerinsky, who will be the founding dean of the new UCI School of Law, addressed the Jewish community Sunday at an inaugural speaking engagement after his appointment last year following a controversy that made international headlines.

Chemerinsky’s appointment was announced and then rescinded, and then reinstated following an outcry from both liberal and conservative camps. Recognized as an expert on matters of national security, civil liberty and United States constitutional law, Chemerinsky was a guest at Temple Beth Sholom in Santa Ana speaking on the subject of “American National Security vs. Civil Liberties.”

The evening began with a seated dinner followed by the address, which was a thought-provoking session in a largely conservative Orange County setting. The evening was chaired by Linda Weisberg, who commented, “This is one of the most important issues confronting America in decades.”

Chemerinsky has come to UCI from his former position at Duke University. He is the author of four highly regarded books on constitutional law and has been named one of the “top legal thinkers in America.” He is also the recipient of numerous honors, including the President’s Award from the Criminal Courts Bar Assn., 2003 Freedom of Information Award from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Clarence Darrow Award from the People’s College of Law.

Attending the Chemerinsky address were Doris and Bob Bachman, Linda and Steve Bergman, Dick and Estelle Blake, Shelton Donnell and Wendy Bocarsky, Richard Gillock and Stephanie Campbell, A.J. Coco, Carol and Ralph Clayman, Monica and Irving Engel, John Forbes, Eileen Garbutt, Susan Glass, Robyn and Madison Grant and Carol Kanofsky. Also supporting the informative evening were Teri Kennady and Eric Hyman, Charlene Marsh, Edward and Elaine Perlstein, Cyrena Robitaille and Leonard and Madeline Zuckerman.

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