THE CROWD:

Over the past 11 years an Orange County theatrical project has raised in excess of $4 million for Children’s Hospital of Orange County.

That project is, of course, the CHOC Follies.

Produced with passion by the OC’s PR dynamo Gloria Zigner, and staged by director John Vaughan, the Follies has, year after year, attracted a cast and crew of local citizens who have turned the experience into an annual rite of passage.

Zigner has “worked the room,” calling in favors galore in order to raise the funds necessary to produce the show and more importantly bring in a profit for Children’s Hospital.

“I have been sweating bullets,” confided Zigner in a telephone interview last week. “In this economy charitable donations are not the first on the list for people struggling with the downturn.

“Yet despite these very difficult times, Orange County donors have once again rallied for Children’s Hospital and we will meet our budget and be able to donate a significant amount of money to help the children.”

Zigner added that funds are still needed and that tickets must be sold to fill the house for the 2009 show, which debuts tonight at the Robert B. Moore Theatre at OCC in Costa Mesa.

This season’s production is titled “The Princess and the Prius.”

The spoof on Orange County lifestyle opens tonight and runs through Saturday.

The Saturday production will feature a 2 p.m. matinee and an 8 p.m. closing show with tickets to all performances ranging from $35 to $125. The top price ticket for both Friday and Saturday evening also includes admission to the post show cast party.

Zigner reports that seats are still available at all price ranges and group tickets are also available.

The production has survived and grown because it has been produced as an OC family affair.

Each season Zigner and Vaughan have cast local business, civic and social leaders in the community in featured roles.

Cast members commit both significant hours of rehearsal months in advance of the show along with a guarantee to sell certain numbers of tickets raising money for CHOC.

This year, some of the dedicated cast members include major donor and underwriter Sandra Segerstrom Daniels, Joan Gladstone, Chris and Lindsay Lawrence, Desiree Berry, Giana Nguyen Foster, Cindy Frerking, Matt DuBow, Louis Berlin, Giselle Marlow, Jim Daugherty, Ed Gillow and Sue Ann Cross to name only a few.

In the early stages of creative production Zigner and company had designed the satirical show around an OC princess and her expensive luxury sports convertible.

When the stock market crashed in October and November and the recession hit home they quickly revamped the production renaming it “The Princess and the Prius,” changing the satirical emphasis to a theme of cutbacks in the glamorous OC lifestyle.

In keeping with Zigner’s track record of success, Zigner was able to receive a new Toyota Prius as a raffle item helping to raise even more money to benefit the children at CHOC.

Special thanks go to Follies co-chairwomen Leslie Cancellieri, Sandy Segerstrom Daniels and Dale Skiles, three super dedicated Newporters who once again have given tremendously of their time and money to make the project a reality.

Director John Vaughan is once again being supported by music director Doug Austin, choreographer Lee Martino and associate producer Lois Augustine.

For last-minute ticket reservations contact Augustine at the CHOC Children’s Foundation (714) 532-8690 or visit www.CHOCFollies.org.

THE CROWD runs Thursdays and Saturdays.