‘Les Miserables’ Is the Ticket for Benefits

Only Mount St. Mary’s and Family Service (Los Angeles and other branches) have taken the entire Shubert Theater (1,717 seats) for benefits at performances of “Les Miserables.”

David and Norma McIntyre, tireless workers, report that Mount St. Mary’s has 1,200 tickets sold, and is closing in on a sellout for May 26. The Mount is the only one to have a black-tie dinner (for $600 patrons at the Bistro Garden) as well as an elaborate buffet at the Century Plaza Tower.

Family Service has May 22 with tickets at $125 and a wine/hors d’oeuvres post-theater affair. Vista del Mar Associates (a child and family service group) has taken 500 orchestra tickets for May 21. Here’s the rest of the rundown: Yav Nev Hebrew Academy, May 24; Amie Karen Cancer Fund, May 25; the Los Angeles Free Clinic, with $250 tickets, including a cocktail buffet, May 27; National Gay Rights Advocates, May 28; American Society for Technion, May 29; and Aids Project Los Angeles, May 31. That’s a lot of fund raising.

PAST PERFECT: J. Shelton Ellis Jr. of Gumps Los Angeles shared all the Gumps history the other noon for Los Angeles Alumnae Club Pi Beta Phi’s 40th annual benefit luncheon to benefit the Crippled Children’s Society.

The saga was gossipy and fun, starting with Solomon and Gustaf Gump’s arrival from Hungary in 1860 and the opening of their shop which sold picture frames and mirrors to brothels that flourished in the Gold Rush. Then there was a switch to antiquities brought on by Solomon’s wife’s reaction to his mistress, the 1915 treasure hunt for Oriental art by Ed Newell and the near closing of Gumps during the Great Depression, staved off by the saving grace of Sally Stanford (San Francisco’s most famous madame), who bought Gumps’ best jade ring, pearls, a diamond bracelet and another jade piece, and financially rescued the business.

Enjoying and passing a jade ring ($100,000) and pearls ($60,000) through the audience were Charlotte Hoyt and Ginny Love, co-chairmen; Nancy Hogan, president; Joan Mier, major donor to the Crippled Children’s Society; and Marilyn Graves, society president; and Susan Carver, Joan Mackey, Muriel Cameron, Babe Lockie, Kay Gates, Joyce McGilvray, Joanne Reno and Jean Warner.

BIG FORTIETH: The Hollywood Bowl Patroness Committee meets for luncheon Wednesday at the home of Carlotta Keeley. President Jeanne Johnson will introduce her new board and present David Alan Miller, assistant conductor for the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

SHOWCASE PARTY: Pasadena Junior Philharmonic Committee Premiere Night Committee co-chairmen--Laura Wisher and Shere Adair--wouldn’t let Showcase House of Design benefit chairman Susi McConaghy see the interior of Rosemont Pavilion on the Arroyo Seco until party night. “When you have a good committee, you leave them alone,” said the wise chairman.

But, when she and husband Jack, a patent attorney, waltzed in the usually drafty hangar-like Pavilion, they found a ceiling swagged with 2,200 yards of moire fabric, bringing down the height of the room and keeping toasty everyone who wasn’t already warmed by the lively Home Savings of America orchestra.

Earlier, the crowd had been bused to the Showcase House in San Marino, then back to the Pavilion to party. It was a full house at both places. At the Showcase, members became informed hostesses in each of the Showcase’s 36 rooms designed by interior decorators and they dazzled in $4.5 million in jewels from Troy & Co. and Bullocks’ gowns.

Amazingly, the Showcase was ready. When co-interior design chairman Becky Garnett dropped by at 2 a.m. the night before, five designers were at work, planning to stay all night. Such is the dedication of both professionals and volunteers, that the Showcase (which is open through May 15 to the public) will no doubt net more than $425,000.

For the gala, though, the chat was nil on money. Having a good time dining on Somerset Caterers’ roast veal were president Cindy McNeish, Susie and Michael Flanagan, Linda and Ben Massey, Gabriella and John Santaniello, Paddy and Hugh Grant, Jane and Chris Popovich, Kathy and Richard T. Schlosberg, Tom and Edwina Johnson, John and Jeanine Cushman (she is next year’s 25th anniversary chairman), Susan and Michael Flanagan (he gave her a surprise birthday dinner the night before at Chasen’s), Sharon and Don Wright, James and Pam Boswell, Dave and Holly Davis, Rosemary and Norman Mitchell and Showcase committeewomen Judy Frank, Molly Siefert, Shirley Goldsmith, Julie Condon (she and husband Tom have bought a house around the corner from the Showcase), Mona Mapel, Nan Okum and Robin Vandervort.

SILVER ACHIEVEMENTS: Betty Tom Chu started a bank because it was difficult for Asians to borrow money to buy homes, and she became the first woman president of a savings and loan. Chairman and CEO of Trust Savings Bank, she was among the eight women honored by the YWCA of Los Angeles (whose primary goal now is to erase racism) at Leader Luncheon XIV at the Westin Bonaventure.

The crowd of 1,200 was welcomed by chairman Frieda Caplan and president Sandra Jones Anderson before the deserved tributes. Others accepting were Lonear Heard, president, James T. Heard Management Corp.; Linda Alvarez, KNBC anchor; Esther Shapiro, TV writer/producer who urged the audience to set no limitations upon themselves but to “find your dream . . . and pursue it;” Dr. Alexandra Levine, oncologist; Anita De Frantz, president, Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles; Lynne Cox, marathon swimmer, and Dorothy Kirsten French, founder and chairman, John Douglas French Foundation for Alzheimer’s Disease.

PLAUDITS: Sid Caesar receives The Center for the Partially Sighted’s 1988 Vision Award at the seventh annual gala June 3 at the Beverly Hilton. He follows in the footsteps of recipients Gene Kelly, Sammy Davis Jr., Lucille Ball . . . To the $173,000 in grants from the Oak Tree Racing Assn. for charity . . . To Alyce Van Wyck and Michael Delany, married in Santa Barbara . . .

To Stuart J. Marylander, president of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, recipient of the United Jewish Fund Tree of Life Award . . . To Daniel E. Slusser, new chairman of the Permanent Charities Committee of the Entertainment Industries . . . To USC and Kenneth T. Norris Jr. Cancer Hospital and Research Institute, celebrating the institute’s fifth anniversary dinner at the home of Dr. James and Marilyn Zumberge with the announcement of building a five-story addition to the present hospital . . .

To Art Center College of Design and its president David R. Brown and Pasadena mayor John Crowley, hosting Swiss dignitaries including former Swiss Parliament president Jean-Jacques Cevey and Swiss consuls general Leo Renggli of Los Angeles and Pierre Jordan of San Francisco at a dinner.

ESCALATION: Lillian Nicolosi Nall hosts dinner and dancing Friday at her home as a prelude to the gala celebration for the Kennedy Center honorees on Saturday . . .

USC Friends of Music honor Andre Previn today at their annual dinner at the Biltmore. Lucy Hubbard is president and Milah Russin Wermer chairman . . .

The Southwest Museum got the jump on Cinco de Mayo on Saturday when the Collectors’ Club sponsored La Noche Mexicana. Festivities, performers, culinary arts, a display of unique Mexican dance masks and textiles from the private collection of Ellen and Federico Jimenez were highlights. The Jimenezes produced La Noche, with marimba music by Echos de Chiapas and Vera Cruz-style music by Hermanos Herreras to mix with the Sororan menu catered by Burnt Offerings and planned by food chair Margaret Byrne . . .