‘Atlantis’ Alive with Sound of Music

Things went swimmingly Saturday night at the Newport Marriott.

Just ask the goldfish, who circled fitfully in the centerpieces as 400 land animals in bow ties and all manner of splashy attire partook of lobster medallions and caviar, read their programs--each of which was graced with a real seahorse--then floated away to dance under a sea of balloons suspended from the ballroom ceiling.

Welcome to the “mysterical wonders” of Atlantis, an evening sponsored by the Sound of Music chapter of the Orange County Performing Arts Center to celebrate the “pride and pomp and empery” of the mythic undersea kingdom.

Four divers in full regalia helped set the scene during a cocktail reception in the atrium. Making their way through the elbow-room-only crowd apparently worked up a sweat. “Yes, this is a wetsuit,” admitted one ruefully. He and his buddies soon discovered the hotel fountain, where they cooled off.

Ball chairwoman Barbara Glabman said she knew why the group was enjoying its biggest turnout ever.

“Threats,” Glabman explained. “I said I was going to send truck drivers out to break their kneecaps if they didn’t come. The bottom line is that we made $80,000.”

Because benefit expenses were entirely underwritten, she said, all ticket receipts went directly to the center.

“That should be enough to turn on the electricity,” quipped underwriter Walter Schroeder.

Party co-chairwoman Jane McCaffrey and her husband, Bob--he headed 1984 Olympics operations in Orange County--joined Jim and Barbara Glabman in what Bob called “the inception line.”

Also greeting arriving guests were four Ticktockers from the next crop of National Charity League debutantes.

“My mom dreamed these up,” said Kirsten Raymond of the sea green gowns and starfish-and-pearl brooches. (Her companions were Nicolle Raymond, Laurie Van Sleenhaus and Monique Vink.)

Upstairs, an imposing 14-foot statue of Poseidon looked out over a ballroom filled with Greek colonades and giant seahorses.

The seahorses affixed to the programs inspired some discussion.

“We went all the way to St. Croix to find one of these, and we didn’t see one ,” noted Susan Barlow, who had arranged for the divers.

“Cruelty to animals,” commented Richard Hurwitz.

Jim Roberts doubled as emcee and pianist. Underwriting co-chairmen were Martha Green and Sally Lorenat. Karen Betson, Sound of Music president, noted that the opening of the center was a mere 163 days away.

One-hundred ninety golfers, including 37 celebrities from the sports and entertainment worlds, of whom Cheryl Ladd attracted the most attention, gathered at the Newport Beach Country Club Monday for the fourth playing of the Childhelp Golf Classic.

“One-hundred ninety!” said Connie Olsen, Childhelp Newport Beach chapter president. She explained that the tournament followed scramble rules, wherein only the best hit from among team members is played on each succeeding round. “If we played everybody’s ball, we’d be here till tomorrow!”

According to Sharon Sharvak, tournament chairwoman, the event earned at least $55,000 for the Childhelp Children’s Village in Beaumont, a residential care facility for abused children.

While the country club usually restricts the number of golfers to two fivesomes per hole, the huge entry forced officials to allow three teams of five to a hole, and even one sixsome.

“Next year we’re moving to a bigger course,” Sharvak said.

Bob Hope was a no-show because of film commitments, even though, according to tournament organizers, he confirmed as recently as “late last week.”

Among those who did play, however, were tournament host Merlin Olsen; Fred MacMurray and his wife, June Haver; the comedy team Skiles and Henderson (Bill and Pete respectively); Johnny Mann of the Johnny Mann Singers; San Diego Chargers quarterback Dan Fouts; Olympics gold-medal high jumper Dwight Stones; David Graf (“Police Academy”); Raiders defensive lineman Howie Long; Righteous Brother Bobby Hatfield and Detroit Lions quarterback Eric Hipple. NBC announcer Charlie Jones’ team won with a score of 58.

While waiting for the golfers to return, Childhelp co-founder Sara O’Meara gave an update of her organization’s activities.

“Now that our (child abuse) hot line is making a real impact, we’re looking into expanding our diagnostic treatment centers,” O’Meara said. “There are children who have been in 15 different foster homes before we get them at the village. That child has not only been abused, he feels rejected over and over and over again. We need to make better decisions as to the placement of a child from the very beginning.”

Ladd and her husband, Brian Russell, were among the first off the course, with a score of 61.

“We were just awesome,” said Russell. “I felt badly about not being in the office, but I got over that by the fourth or fifth hole.”

Ladd, who says she’s “a good chipper and pretty good putter,” was pleased with her first tournament performance.

“I didn’t embarrass myself,” she said.

Among silent auction items offered during the tournament were a Rams chair fashioned from a gigantic helmet and a size-15 basketball shoe signed by the Los Angeles Lakers’ Maurice Lucas.

The Adoption Guild Tennis Tournament, the largest charity doubles tournament in the world, is coming up in Newport Beach at the end of May. Tuesday afternoon, 300 patronesses of the guild gathered for tea at the Harbor Isle home of Robert and Bobbie Grant.

This year marks the tournament’s silver anniversary; appropriately enough, the women were served hors d’oeuvres prepared by Southern Orange County guild members on silver trays. They talked about silver trophies made possible by investor L.D. Christiano, guild member Margit’s husband, who virtually is paying for the tournament this year.

According to tournament chairwoman Karen Rokas, the event, held on two consecutive weekends beginning May 24, is expected to generate at least $50,000 for Holy Family Services, a counseling and adoption agency.

Rokas said that for every participant in the tournament, Prince racquet company has donated a warm-up suit, Ellesse a tennis duffle bag, and Converse a pair of socks.

“Even if you default,” she pointed out, “you’ll go away with goods with a retail value of more than $100.”

Also at the tea were guild president Carlyn Steiner, patroness party chairpersons Sara Booty and Sunny Elliott and tournament co-chair Candy Budge, who noted that more than 1,000 players entered last year.