Dancing, Dining Guests Catch the Spirit of Centennial Ball
Celebrate the Spirit! That was the theme of the Orange County Centennial Ball on Saturday night at the Disneyland Hotel. And celebrate guests did--from the tulips of bubbly they tipped during the heady champagne reception to their final bites of dreamy orange mousse cake.
What happened in between could fill a small history book. For starters, after the bubbly and the keepsake photo session and the sorrel bisque en croute, guests settled back to watch a dazzling floral dress parade--seven stately models floating in flower-smothered costumes--and a slide-preview of Santa Ana’s 1989 entry in the Tournament of Roses.
After that, they dined grandly on butter lettuce with smoked chicken breast and filet of beef with Bordelaise sauce. And after that, they dance, dance, danced to Barry Cole and His Sounds of Music.
“Just think,” said gala co-chairwoman Judy Hemley, raising her glass during the reception. “This will not happen for any of us again!”
“ I’m going to be around,” piped her co-chairwoman, Susan Bartlett. “After tonight, I can survive anything!”
Hemley and Bartlett, admired in social circles for their ability to stage an elegant ball at a reasonable price, credited their hard-working committee with everything from blowing up the ball’s billowing balloons to whipping together the fresh-orange centerpieces sparkling with iridescent glitter.
Of the floral dress pageant--a salute to Orange County’s rich cultural heritage--Hemley said: “Susan pulled that together in only two months. Amazing!”
It was amazing. As guests watched in wonder, the shimmering stage curtain in the hotel’s grand ballroom parted to the sound of thunder, pounding rain and a rushing waterfall as Cerise Feeley, as Oceania (representing the world’s island paradises) rose upon a pedestal. The haunting “Bali Hai” filled the ballroom as the statuesque redhead swayed in a grass skirt and flower leis created by florist Maxx Cooper. Also on stage: Amber Higgins as North America in a floral Indian costume by Wayne Gray; Mae Lon Batcheller representing Asia in an white creation by Modesto Busto; Regina La Vert in a brilliant-colored African costume by Randy Duncan; Jade Higgins doing a South American samba in orchid-edged ruffles by Mark Massad, and Jan Williams saluting Europe a la the passionate pinks of Paris by Clark Jellison.
Proceeds estimated at $10,000 from the $100-per-person event will go into the Orange County Centennial Inc.’s scholarship fund.
Among those celebrating the spirit: Emma Jane and Orange County Supervisor Thomas F. Riley, the only supervisor not at the Republican Convention--”It (the convention) doesn’t excite me as much as what’s happening in Orange County,” he said with a wide smile; Dorothy and Buddy Ebsen, who said he’d never seen so “many beautiful girls on a stage!”; Don and Dolly Karcher; Carl and Margaret Karcher; Hal and Jeanette Segerstrom; Marilyn and Tom Nielsen; Ron and Kathy Merriman; Dr. Lock Gee and Ruth Ding; Rogue Hemley; Wes and Mary Jones; John and Donna Crean, and Ed and Floss Schumacher.
On the committee: Ruth Ding, Dina Von Burger, Peggy Cotton, Linda Ott, Shala Allen, Gayle Anderson, Illene Dolin, Nora Lehman, Carolyn Charkey and Gerry Schroeder.