Formality Eases at Consular Corps Fete

A red, white and blue atmosphere, protocol-free, prevails Monday for Les Dames de Champagne (International Hostesses) and the Young Californians “Happy Birthday U.S.A.” party at the William Ahmanson Calabasas Ranch.

It’s the groups’ seventh annual salute to the Southern California consular corps families. The rolling hills and ancient oaks (just an echo away from the Ventura Freeway) provide the setting. But no fireworks, just ID “brandings” when guests check in at the corral and circle the chuck wagon for the chowdown.

A FIRST: When the Los Angeles Pops Orchestra plays on the beach at Santa Monica on Monday, the fireworks blast off at 5 a.m. The boast is that this marks the world’s first dawn orchestral concert on the beach.

75TH JUBILEE: Beverly Hills’ 75th Diamond Jubilee kicks off this evening at 8:30 at Beverly Hills High School Stadium with hundreds of performers assembled by Radio City Music Hall Productions West Coast.

Dinah Shore is the host. Expect appearances by Jimmy Stewart, Robert and Rosemarie Stack, Efrem Zimbalist Jr. and Will Rogers Jr. featured as his father, the city’s first mayor.

BIG 80TH: About 400 surrounded Dr. Howard House to break ground for construction of the new $30-million House Ear Institute. A pretty nice 80th birthday gift.

AND STONE’S 85TH: Irving Stone seems to get taller, straighter and more handsome. He’s up for his 85th birthday, which is encouraging to us all. On July 14, the governors and trustees of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County stage a black-tie tribute banquet at the museum Stone adores.

THE MEDICIS: William A. Clossey of AT&T; chairs the alfresco black-tie Medici Awards Dinner on Friday at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. That’s the evening the directors of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce honor the 1988 Medici Award recipients who have generously contributed to the development of cultural resources in the Los Angeles area.

WILD & WOOLLY: The Performing Tree goes “Wild & Woolly” for a Western evening at the new Wells Fargo History Museum Saturday. Diana Jonsson is heading the barbecue and hoedown to raise funds for PT’s arts performances and workshops that reach half a million schoolchildren annually.

Square dancing, entertainment by Lotta Crabtree and Buffalo Bill, a Western band, and museum viewing are on the agenda.

The Performing Tree is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts challenge grant, matching $1 for each $3 raised in new money by PT. Sheldon I. Ausman and Tamra F. Dickerson are challenge co-chairs. They’re half way to the $300,000 goal. James H. Cheney heads the board.

GALA AUSTRALIA: We hear it was a bonzer bash (terrific party) at the home of George and Maggie Jagels for the California Institute for Cancer Research, UCLA (Pasadena Guild). “Gala Australia” honored Australian Consul General John R. Kelso and Dr. Paul Mac Cready of Gossamer Condor, Gossamer Albatross and Sunraycer fame (the latter won the world race for solar-powered aircraft from Darwin to Adelaide). Mary Frances Russell helped mastermind the fun.

PLAUDITS: To Sue Rowan and the Pasadena Garden Club, sipping tea at Casita del Arroyo in Pasadena to celebrate completion of the garden and meet landscape architect Isabelle Greene . . . To Ray Watt, chairman and CEO of Watt Industries, who received the Los Angeles Business Council’s fourth Lifetime Achievement Award . . .

To George Caplan, principal partner in the Century City law firm of Irell & Manella, installed president of the Jewish Federation Council of Greater Los Angeles at a dinner dance at the Beverly Hilton . . . To Shirlee Fonda, helping make the the Henry Fonda Memorial Scholarship Awards Competition at the Tracy Roberts Actors Studio a reality. . . .

To the premiere of “Black Angelenos: The Afro-American in Los Angeles, 1850-1950” exhibit that runs through March at the California Afro-American Museum in Exposition Park. AT&T; sponsored the reception, dedicated to Miriam Matthews, California’s first college-trained black librarian.

DEDICATED: Giney Milner isn’t even a Scripps College alumna, but she hosted a sit-down dinner for 50 Scripps alums and faculty to assist Scripps President John H. Chandler in the college’s $41.4-million campaign.

The college already has raised $34 million and the campaign was inaugurated only in March at the home of Glen and Gloria Holden (she is a Scripps trustee). More who will entertain for the college are Victoria Williamson, Audrey Burnand, Leslie Frazee and Katharine Miller.

PAST PERFECT: They snacked with the snakes, ate gourmet goodies by the gorillas, had dessert at the Ludden Koala Plaza with Betty White Ludden sharing koala stories. It was all at the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Assn. “Summer Walking Safari.” Association chairman Tom Tellefsen and president Bruce Nasby were among 200 attending . . .

Partners for the Music Center Unified Fund hosted their volunteer luncheon in the Blue Ribbon Room at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Joan McLaughlin is new chairman, succeeding Lorraine Saunders.

KUDOS: Club 100 honored six artists who have worked at the Music Center at its Salute to Distinguished Artists Celebration Luncheon at the Century Plaza.

The six honorees: actor Buddy Ebsen, actresses Kate Mulgrew and Hope Lange, choreographer Gary Mascaro, Los Angeles County School Superintendent Dr. Stuart E. Gothold and Ahmanson Theatre artistic director Robert Fryer. Diane Morton continues a second term as president.

KEEPING UP: The Irene Dunne Guild met for a garden party at the Barron Hilton Estate . . . Assistance League Nine O’Clock Players saluted Carol Burnett as their honorary benefit chair at an evening performance of “Once Upon a Mattress” . . . Bette Midler, on location at the Assistance League, popped in at the gift shop and popped $1,000 on gifts . . .

According to Karlin McCullen, the American Symphony Orchestra League chose the Pasadena Symphony Juniors for its Volunteer Council Award in Chicago over 1,000 competing fund-raisers. Winning event was the Pasadena group’s 1987 Club USO benefit . . . California Music Theatre celebrated the 50th anniversary of Los Angeles Civic Light Opera, honoring Edwin Lester with a special performance of “Kismet,” the show he first premiered in 1953 . . .

Suzanne Marx (honored last week by the Loyola Marymount University Fine Arts Council at a tea at the home of Dale Snodgrass) flew to New York to join Peter and Ginnie Ueberroth at the Coro Foundation dinner featuring H. Ross Perot and Felix Rohatyn speaking on “Privilege, Power and Public Responsibility.”

OPERATION CHILDREN: What do you do when the crowd overflows the room, and too many appear for luncheon. The other day at Operation: Children at the Beverly Hills Hotel, it appeared that several tables were set up around the bar. Everyone was trying to cope: president Ingeborg Zerne, luncheon chairwoman Greta Peck, master of ceremonies John Vernay. Honored guest Buddy Rogers even sat down at the piano and entertained a bit.

By the time Michael Novarese showed his fall fashions, it was very mid-afternoon. Said executive vice president Elizabeth Warde, “We tried so hard; does it ever seem that nothing goes right?” Chums Willene Coyle, Florence Becker and her daughter Judy Bramble, Effie Gaido, Ginny Rottmann, Ruth Tullis, Paddi Gill and Millie O’Green didn’t mind: They had a chance to catch up on travel and gossip.