Four Days of Festive Fare for Joffrey

Last year the Joffrey Dinners concept--scores of parties hosted on one evening to benefit the Joffrey Ballet--was considered perfect. This year Mrs. Dimitri T. Skouras, the working chairman, is improving on perfection. “The only problem last year: The hosts and hostesses couldn’t go to others’ parties.”

She and the legends of the dance world, Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse, honorary chairmen, have solved that problem. “The Joffrey Dinners . . . Act II,” planned by the board of directors and the Friends of the Joffrey, will feature prominent Los Angeles hosts, hostesses and restaurateurs creating more than 50 dinners, parties, lunches, brunches and teas. But this year they’ll cover a four-day period, March 20-23, a scintillating way to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Joffrey. Mmes. Timothy Childs, Dwight M. Kendall, William Kieschnick, E. L. Shannon Jr. and Patricia J. Kennedy are co-chairs.

Of course, as before, each cultural and civic-minded host will underwrite the event he presents. And dinners will be $200 per person.

Easter Parade Party

But first, two special-date parties. David Murdock, Joffrey co-chairman, will have beautiful food, music and flowers for beautiful guests at his Easter Bonnet and Easter Best Easter Parade on March 9. If all goes well, special guest photographer Kenny Rogers will snap souvenir photos of guests in Murdock’s Bel-Air garden.

And, on March 13, a “Judy and Parnelli Jones/Evi and Dan Gurney Rally” will be hosted for a limited 50. Race track attire is expected when the starting flag drops at 6:45 p.m. at a surprise location.

Then, 15 parties are planned March 20.

Ava Ostern and Chuck Fries will host a jam session, catered by Chasen’s and featuring Hal Linden, Lalo Schifrin and George Segal. Sandy and Harold Price plan “Return to the Raj” for 30 at the Mayur in Corona del Mar. “Ole” will be a feast for 16 at the home of Kathryn and Burt Sugarman. Gail and Peter De Krassel and Don Livingston will talk “Art and Politics at the Beach” at Scratch in Santa Monica. Michael McCarty has asked Peter Goulds to lead an art tour of L.A. Louvre Gallery before dinner at Michael’s. “Start 1986 Over Again” will be the fun-loving black-tie affair at Chasen’s for 100 hosted by Sandy and Shel Ausman, Terri and Tim Childs, Carolyn and Bernie Garrett, Suzanne and Joseph Marx, Pam and Peter Mullin, Nancy and Sid Peterson, Nancy and Tim Vreeland and Esther and Tom Wachtell.

‘Tango at Touch’

The same night Patricia Kennedy plans “Tango at Touch,” Jacques Camus an “Erte/Art Deco” dinner at Westwood Marquis, Rosemarie and Robert Stack dinner for 16 at La Toque, Richard and Esther Shapiro dinner at the 7th Street Bistro, Marilyn and Harry Lewis “Ham(let) It Up” at their Hamlet Gardens, Bernard Jacoupy a French dinner at Bernard’s, Le Restaurant an elegant evening with Zsa Zsa Gabor, Lisa and Norman Clement dinner in the Caltech Athenaeum library.

Also, Christopher Idone will prepare dinner and Gerald Arpino and Martin Workman and the Zadinsky String Trio will be on hand for “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Music and the Ballet, but Were Afraid to Ask” at the party Patti and Dimitri (Tommy) Skouras host.

On March 21 the Otis Booths Jr. entertain for luncheon in the Director’s Room at Santa Anita. Piero Selvaggio is planning Lunch and Dance Talk at Primi, Bernard Jacoupy will do another French dinner at Bernard’s, this one with Elmer Dills. Kalef Alaton and David Jones will entertain at Marilyn Monroe’s former residence. Judy and Don Tallarico will party with 30 at Bistro Garden Galleria. The Thomas W. Trainers plan a gourmet dinner and cellar tour. Dona and Dwight Kendall go black-tie with special guest Morgan Fairchild. Anne and Jimmy Murphy go white-tie for 10 at their Jimmy’s. Michelle and Sherman Mazur have the Fred MacMurrays and 20 for Russian food and music. In Palm Springs, the William Burgesses will entertain at their mountainside home, and Bette and Ray Rodeno host a champagne dinner for 30 at La Couronne.

The same evening, at $100 per person, Gerald Arpino and The Friends of The Joffrey salute Hollywood’s Hermes Pan with a special presentation by Juliet Prowse at the Biltmore--a black-and-white Champagne Ball, with top hat optional.

Gourmet Cooking Class

On March 22, Joachim B. Splichal teaches a cooking class for 15 at Max Au Triangle along with Laurent Quenioux of the 7th Street Bistro. Iris Rainer Dart plans lunch at the beach in Santa Monica. Mrs. Del Webb celebrates the Year of the Tiger with Chinese cuisine. Manuel and Wilette Klausner entertain at Max Au Triangle. Harriet and Armand Deutsch have a Chinese banquet and a first-run film. Kathy and Bob Ray Offenhauser dine in their courtyards. Noelle and Bill Siart host 80 for dinner prepared by Steve Wm. Geving. Maude and Dick Ferry have an Olympic Celebration. Ambassador to Mexico and Mrs. John Gavin are special guests for the whale-watching party Shirley and Hubie Laugharn host aboard the Por Ahora in Marina del Rey. Marcia Weisman has an art brunch with Robert Graham. Doug Cramer invites 16 for lunch in the Santa Ynez Valley. Keith and Bill Kieschnick feature Conrad Janis in a New Orleans fete for 50. Ruth and Ed Shannon have a Middle East Feast with Ambassador of Kuwait Sheik Saud Nasir Al Sabah and Sheika Awatif Al Sabah. And Patricia Kennedy, David Jones and Virginie and Gerard Ferry plan Venetian Bal Masque for 100.

On March 23, Barbara Lazaroff and Wolfgang Puck host a wild-card dinner at Chinois and a “Call Me and We’ll Do Dinner” affair at Spago.

The number of guests for all the events times $200 equals the net proceeds (plus the take for the only $100 event), and the net will be whopping.

The purpose, of course, was to see those glorious George Innes landscapes of the Lackawanna, Perugia, Toledo and the White Mountains of New Hampshire. But, for the American Art Council and the trustees of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, it was the perfect reason to “Salute American Art,” raise money and celebrate.

“We wanted to use all the Innes sunset colors for the party,” explained Virginia Carpenter, making last-minute arrangements before the 350 guests arrived. Thus, Arthur McKee was adjusting the tall tulips, Sonia roses and ivy on tables in the English Gallery where one-third of the guests dined. The others were seated in the museum’s atrium under a Gilbert Stuart painting of George Washington, on loan from Dr. and Mrs. Jacob Y. Terner (she was co-chairmen) for the evening. Between courses the crowd danced to Michael Paige’s music.

Mr. and Mrs. Julian Ganz Jr. (he’s trustee president) and Dr. and Mrs. Earl A. Powell III (he’s director) joined Gary and Brenda Ruttenburg (he’s council chairman) to greet guests, including Dr. and Mrs. Franklin D. Murphy, the William R. Pagens, the Richard F. Mogans, Mrs. Markley Cameron, the Edward Carters, the Theodore G. Congdons, the James Hansens, the Edward Laskers, the Arthur Manellas, the Sidney Petersens, the Richard Anawalts, Mrs. Alfred Bloomingdale, Anna Bing Arnold, Dr. and Richard W. Call, the F. Daniel Frosts, the H. Bradley Joneses and the Fred Hartleys.