A Music Center Ball

It seemed an impossibility: a ball on the stage of the Music Center’s Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. But the Los Angeles Junior Philharmonic Committee and its powers, president Judy Bartholomew, chairman Joan Riach and chairman emeritus Fran Muir dreamed, and Ernest Fleishmann pulled out the stops.

Tuesday night, on the eve of the 25th Anniversary of the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s opening night concert at the Music Center, a turn-away crowd of 650 turned into stage stars, dancing to polkas, marches, the 1812 Overture and “Dear Heart,” first to a joyous Philharmonic conducted by Henry Mancini, later to Doc Severinsen and the Tonight Show Band.

In between came the Grand Cotillion performance by the Beverly Hills Cotillion Dance Ensemble, a live auction with Robert Abell, and cuisine of salmon, lamb, molded chocolate treble clefs and champagne--all behind place cards embellished with gold eighth notes and under a canopy of twinkly lights with a view of the Pavilion’s empty seats.

Heralding the night: Philharmonic board chairman Michael and Susan Connell, Music Center Unified Fund ’90 chair Maurice and Carolyn DeWald, Leon and Judy Bartholomew, Thomas and Joan Riach, David and Ginger Ludwick, James and Mary Hesburgh, John and Mary Ann Heidt, Ellen and Tracy Price, Michael and Virginia Kazanjian, Henry and Nancy DeNero, Robert and Jo Kroger, Marion and Rocco Siciliano, Buzz and Lois Aldrin, Tam and Dr. Donald Dickerson, Ginny Mancini, Father Maurice Chase, and Los Angeles County Supervisor Pete and Gerry Schabarum.