Going out with a Splash

Ken Jillson was 38 when he decided to start raising money for AIDS and HIV services. It was 1985 and the country was in the grip of a mysterious, deadly virus that could fell victims”” mostly gay men “” in the prime of their lives.

“It was an emergency,” Jillson recalled. “There weren’t any services or medications [for AIDS and HIV]. There was no cure. People died within 18 months [of diagnosis].”

As he worked to help found AIDS Services Foundation Orange County he realized that money “” a lot of money “” was going to be needed to support the services required.

The Laguna Beach businessman took a chance and launched the Big Splash, a water-themed show centered around the Aquanettes, a bevy of transgendered bathing beauties whose big moment comes when they jump into a large, portable pool.

The first backyard show was only nine minutes long, but raised $33,000 for ASF. Jillson realized he had a winning strategy: great costumes, hunky guys, lots of wigs and falsies, and a refreshing, fun, upbeat show with a positive message.

Over the last 23 years, the Big Splash has raised $9 million for ASF, an astonishing accomplishment for an all-volunteer production. Jillson notes that one reason supporters come back year after year is because nearly all the money actually goes to the agency.

“It’s very well run, with a very high percentage to helping people with AIDS and HIV,” he said.

Last Splash

But all good things “” even the Aquanettes “” must come to an end, and the Big Splash will have its final finale Sept. 25 and 26.

Jillson, now 62, claims he isn’t a bit sad about the demise of the splashy show; it’s time, he says, to move on. But he does expect to get choked up when he stands for the final bow on a show that has dominated his summers for 24 years.

This year, Jillson plays Will Wonder, the ringmaster of the circus-themed show, called “Splashin’ Under the Big Top: The Final Big Splash.”

Jillson expects this show to bring him to his goal: $10 million raised for ASF.

Despite the lackluster economy, ticket sales are brisk, he says, and with Splash sales and legacy gifts, he is confident that the $10-million mark will be hit.

“There are seasons for things to begin and end,” he said.

With new business interests, Jillson scoffs at the idea that he might be a tad bored when next summer rolls around, without the high-energy Splash show to worry about.

‘An hour of silliness’

Even Jillson wasn’t expecting the show to last as long as it has, or to be as successful in raising funds for ASF.

“The Big Splash drew people in,” he said. “People tried to copy it. It made so much money, and had an extraordinary amount of grassroots love. It was never more than an hour of silliness and people got to see their friends in the show. It’s very Laguna Beach.”

Jillson writes the scripts, works with choreographers, designers and costumers, and attends most rehearsals.

He even gets big-name celebrities involved, with the help of part-time Laguna Beach resident Arnold Klein, the Beverly Hills “dermatologist to the stars,” who seems to know everyone in Hollywood. Jillson credits Klein with getting the voices of Gregory Peck, Jack Lemmon, Bea Arthur, Whoopie Goldberg and Phyllis Diller “” all of whom will be heard in this year’s Splash.

Of course, Peck, Lemmon and Arthur are all dead; the show reprises their voices from the 2000 Big Splash, a 1950s circus-themed show that Jillson thought a fitting theme for the finale.

“It’s about a circus that closes down and is reinvented,” he said. “But at the end, [ringmaster] Will Wonder says it’s time for him to retire.”

The show will have some 34 performers cavorting around a pool at the Festival of Arts grounds. A silent auction with great items, including a $7,000 Tiffany shopping spree, will also be offered.

“We will go out on top,” Jillson said. “There will be Aquanettes, roughnecks and showgirls, and all the magic of a circus. When people leave, they will remember it went out on a high note.”

Jillson’s ASF fundraising efforts won’t end with this show, however. He’s already planning a 25th anniversary fundraising event “” which will be splash-free.

If You Go

What: Splashin’ Under the Big Top: The Final Big Splash

When: Sneak preview, 6:30 to 10 p.m. Sept. 25. Includes cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Main Event, 6 to 10 p.m. Sept. 26. Includes dinner.

Tickets: Sept. 25: Admission: $60; Reserved seating: $110; Sept. 26: Individual reservation, $250.

Where: Festival of Arts grounds, 650 Laguna Canyon Road

Information: www.ocasf.org/splash