Foreign Flavor Spices Aventine Gala

Rome sizzled, Berlin fizzled and Tokyo beamed at “La Prima d’Aventine,” given Saturday at the Hyatt Regency La Jolla as the benefit opening of the new and neoclassical Aventine complex.

The Aventine partners evidently agreed that, because their complex looks reasonably Roman, the grand opening should have an international character.

Contributing to that character were:

* A purple-togaed Nero in the forecourt, bereft of both violin and matches and flanked by Praetorian guards who had been outfitted in Greek helmets but nonetheless looked convincing to arriving guests;

* Entertainer Suzanne Somers singing her unique arrangement of Irving Berlin standards in the ballroom, and

* A circle of stage-side tables occupied by principals in the Shimuzu Corp., TSA International, Nissho Iwai Corp., the Long Term Credit Bank of Japan and other Japanese companies and banks that helped the Naiman Co. develop the project.

So large a contingent of Aventine partners and guests filled the front ranks of tables that the gala seemed given primarily for them, although La Jolla Cancer Research Foundation and La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art were offered the chance to invite supporters and share in the proceeds from the $200- and $400-per-person event. The party sold out at a ballroom-jamming attendance of roughly 720, and an Aventine spokesperson said that each of the beneficiaries would receive at least $35,000.

Aventine architect Michael Graves, who designed not only the buildings in the complex but also the furniture for the hotel, was among the luminaries in the front row. Principal developer Jack Naiman left his seat at the next table long enough to welcome guests and to thank Graves for “helping us to visualize this extraordinary building.”

Naiman then turned to Yasuhiro Kobayashi, Hironobu Jibiki and other representatives of the Long Term Credit Bank and said, “To the men with the money, thank you, thank you, thank you.” The men with the money waved back politely. Among other Aventine principals were Takeshi Sekiguchi of TSA International and Koshiro Suganuma of Nissho Iwai.

The Aventine Partners handled many of the gala arrangements, but some duties were turned over to the large honorary committee and to Pamela and George Boynton, Roberta and Malin Burnham and Carolyn and Jack Farris, the trio of couples named honorary chairman.

These three couples were among the guests who braved the chill winds that swept the courtyard gardens during the cocktail hour; others stayed inside the hotel’s colonnaded lower lobby and nibbled the hors d’oeuvres provided by the hotel and by the four free-standing Aventine restaurants. The Praetorian guards who lined the grand staircase watched from above and tried to keep straight faces as their skirts swished around their knees.

Carolyn Farris said that “La Prima d’Aventine” meant not only “The First at Aventine,” but “The Best.”

“It’s been so fun to put together,” she said. “So many sent in for tickets that we had to mail some checks back. With the big stage and all the lights, the ballroom looks like Las Vegas.”

The ballroom also looked quite elegant with its moire tablecloths and centerpieces of paper Aventine towers, filled with candles and set on massive glass blocks. The catering rose to the occasion, and the menu included a warm duck salad, roast veal and an elaborate chocolate dessert presentation.

Remarks by various Aventine partners preceded the stage show, which originally was to have starred singer Lou Rawls and his orchestra. Suzanne Somers and her orchestra were brought in as replacements after Rawls canceled. Somers opened her performance with a spicy Carmen Miranda routine, then skipped through Irving Berlin and even appeared briefly as a sort of cheerful Motorcycle Mama in a black leather jacket with a sequined tail. The Classic NRG Band later played for dancing.

The impressive turnout included the chairmen of several major approaching events, among them Junko Cushman, who attended with husband Larry and will chair the April 24 “Art Alive” at San Diego Museum of Art; Virginia Monday, who attended with Jack and whose May 19 “Mirage” for the American Cancer Society will turn the Sheraton Torrey Pines into an ocean-bordering oasis, and Deirdre Dooling, who attended with Pat and will chair the Aug. 11 “SS Monte Carlo” gala at La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art.

The guest list also included Lillian and Dr. William Fishman, Lollie and Bill Nelson, Sue and Dr. Charles Edwards, Mary and Bob Allan, Alice and Richard Cramer, Georgia Borthwick with Tom Fleming, Betty and Walt Zable, Mary and Steven Stiles, Christine and S. Falck Nielsen, Colette and Ivor Royston, Sheri and Ben Kelts, Joan and Irwin Jacobs, Audrey Geisel, Martha and George Gafford, Carol Randolph and Robert Caplan, Liz and Chris McCullah, Mac and Tim Canty, Carol and Ned Baumer, Christine and Russell Forester and Iris and Matt Strauss.

Former First Lady Nancy Reagan paused at the San Diego Convention Center on April 3 long enough to tug on a few heartstrings and provoke an outburst of laughter before traveling on to the University Club for lunch with her husband, former President Ronald Reagan and a small group of contributors to the Reagan Library.

Dressed in one of the tailored, blue-and-white suits that were a trademark of her years in the White House, Mrs. Reagan spoke to the audience of more than 1,000 that attended “Confident Choices,” a lecture, luncheon and fashion show sponsored by Scripps Memorial Hospitals for the benefit of the Stevens Cancer Center. Her discussion of her experience with breast cancer headlined addresses on the same subject made by Dr. John Trombold and Dr. Stephen Krant.

Reagan launched her story by saying, “People’s hearts go out to you when they know you’re hurting,” a comment that inspired many sympathetic nods from the audience, which was composed mainly of women. But she confided that she kept her sense of humor throughout her own experience with cancer; having decided on a mastectomy, she told the surgeon, “Don’t worry, it won’t take you very long. I’m not Dolly Parton.”

After the speeches, the crowd moved into the center’s ballroom for a luncheon of asparagus salad and chicken, followed by a lively and frequently dramatic fashion show produced by Leonard Simpson. Professional models and “volunteer” physicians yanked from their posts at the Scripps hospitals alternated on the runway with poodles and mysterious clouds of steam.

Most luncheons of any size involve months of planning, but “Confident Choices” reportedly was put together in a few weeks. Lyn Krant headed a committee that included Rita Benz, Joan Evangelou, Lynn Temple, Alexis Wesby, Gina Hixson, Betty Kornreich, Judy Bodell, Nancye Launer, Kay Harshbarger, Sandy Henry Kathy Scott, Donna Brahams, Marlo Boone, Jackie Martinez and Andrea Bokosky.