Generosity Rains at Zoo’s Annual RITZ

The current economy has caused some fund-raising folk to dilute their Chablis with hot, salty tears, but despite the rainy-day theme, no eyes moistened at Saturday’s “RainForest Rendezvous.” The event was the ninth annual RITZ (“Rendezvous in the Zoo”) gala hosted by the trustees of the San Diego Zoological Society.

Net proceeds amounted to about $250,000, to be devoted to enhancing the San Diego Zoo’s two rain forest exhibits, Gorilla Tropics and Tiger River, with a similarly misty habitat for pygmy chimpanzees, golden-bellied mangabeys and crowned eagles. The attendance approached 1,000, a large figure comfortably absorbed by the zoo’s subtropical byways and by the fanciful outdoor ballroom erected on the otherwise less-than-glitzy employee parking lot.

RITZ, of course, is all about glitz, which has helped make it a consistently waiting-list-only affair in recent years. The impact it has upon the physical aspects of the park contributes immensely to the affair’s popularity.

“RITZ has funded major construction at the zoo over the last 10 years, to the point that it’s fair to say it has made all the new things here possible,” said the zoo’s executive director, Douglas Myers. “That’s why the ‘Who’s Who’ in San Diego always comes to RITZ, and why this was the fifth or sixth year we haven’t even had to print invitations. The party has such enormous benefit for us that it sells itself.”

The furred and feathered beneficiaries of the largess lined up along the paths as guests fanned through certain exhibit areas during the cocktail hour. The mendicants--a peacock, a miniature horse, Tandy the red-tailed hawk and many others--didn’t quite look like little beggars, but they did sing for their suppers, especially the raccoon-like coatimundi that politely nibbled frozen crickets from the hands of none-too-squeamish guests.

The guests, meanwhile, munched on hors d’oeuvres, catered in vast variety by the Sheraton Harbor Island hotel and all related to the Latin American, rain-forest theme; among the bites were squash fritters, empanadas , corn cakes and barbecued eggplant.

Most guests took time to inspect the new, nearly open Treehouse complex in Gorilla Tropics, a collection of shops, eateries, meeting rooms and the new Albert’s restaurant, a full-service establishment that offers antique furniture, Persian carpets and a full bar, along with a view of a waterfall and a pond inhabited by cormorants and ducks.

Some partygoers speculated that the dining room’s name honors past zoo President Dr. Albert Anderson, but it in fact pays tribute to Albert, the silverback gorilla and longtime patriarch of the park’s gorilla troop.

Sunset provoked a mass migration from Treetops to the outdoor ballroom, planned by designer Carol Baumer (whose 1984 Jewel Ball, “White Tiger and Tails,” chose the zoo as its major beneficiary) to evoke a patch of Amazon rain forest brushed up with Park Avenue sensibilities. Instead of dripping dew and cascading waterfalls, teardrop-shaped strings of miniature lights “dripped” off the trees, and a waterfall of lights twinkled torrentially behind the main stage. To complete the theme, umbrellas of lights kept the guests’ heads dry.

The lavish fantasy of the setting extended to make-believe palm trees, their trunks swathed in gold wrappings and fronds gilded with spray paint; life-size painted jaguars lurked among the foliage. Centerpieces took a Mother Earth theme and consisted of subtropical rain-forest fauna, including sprouted willow branches hung with nests of moss and sprays of miniature orchids.

“RainForest Rendezvous” Chairman Susan McClellan waited nervously at the ballroom entrance; like previous RITZ chairs, her duties included riding the final beast in the animal parade that opens the dinner-dance portion of the affair. In other years, an elephant has transported the chairmen, but this year the honor fell to a one-humped camel named Sheik.

“I wish it was a zebra, because that’s what I dressed for,” said McClellan, who was, in fact, striped diagonally in black and white. “But, anything for the zoo,” she added. “This organization provides full family entertainment, and we’re working to make a special place, one that’s absolutely for everybody, even better.”

McClellan’s humped steed brought up the tail of a procession that opened with Bruiser, a one-ton Brahma bull that bore zoo goodwill ambassador Joan Embery on its broad back, and included Licorice the llama and Squeeze, a Burmese python that required four handlers to waltz it around the floor.

The sight of all that livestock awakened appetites in some quarters, which RITZ threatened to overwhelm with Martha Culbertson, Audrey Geisel and Judi Strada’s massive, Brazilian menu of feijoada (an assortment of cold boar, venison, catfish and other flesh, with spicy condiments served in coconut shells), shrimp with okra, sauced filets of beef and pork and a remarkably colorful composed dessert of pastries and fruits presided over by handmade, spun-sugar hummingbirds.

As always, RITZ provided a pair of bands that alternated through the evening. Peter Sprague’s new group, Samba, provided Latin rhythms, while the second-billed group, Georgetowne Express, filled the floor repeatedly.

Guests and committee included Paul and Ione Harter, Ivor and Edele deKirby, Hal and Betty Jo Williams, Eleanor and Art Herzman, Judson and Rachel Grosvenor, Jack Krauss, Gary and Betty Biszantz, Bruce and Mary Hazard, Bill and Nancy Norgren, Donald and Dragon Sherman, Thomas and Suzanne Warner, Craig McClellan, Paul and Jinx Ecke, Jerry and Mary McMorris, Liz Smith, Sara Jackson, Chuck and Judy Bieler, Ken and Dixie Unruh, Bill and Jeanne Larson, Dick and Annette Ford, Michael and Jan Madigan, Paul and Kay Black, Ron and Cheryl Kendrick and zoo President Lee Monroe, who happened to be attending his very first RITZ.

LA JOLLA--To be told, on the occasion of your 40th birthday, that “you’re no longer a prodigy, you’re just a middle-aged director,” might be a gloomy greeting for the average show-biz type--but hearing the jibe uttered good-naturedly by actor Kevin Kline softens the blow.

La Jolla Playhouse artistic director Des McAnuff bit the middle-aged bullet Friday at a dinner (and fund-raiser, of course) given for about 100 close playhouse pals at Cindy Black’s chic country-French restaurant.

The director’s wife, actress Susan Berman, spent the day editing a congratulatory tape while McAnuff rehearsed “Tommy” onstage; composers Roger Daltry and Pete Townshend are expected to attend the July 9 opening of the rock opera.

Berman played the tape after her husband and the guests had plowed through a menu of Southern French canapes, cheeses and the like. After hearing Lynn Redgrave sing birthday wishes in a falsetto voice and smiling at compliments from Phoebe Cates, John Goodman, Amanda Plummer, Cliff Robertson and playwright Athol Fugard, McAnuff faced the crowd and said: “I’ve just had dinner with (playhouse angel) Mandell Weiss, who’s 101, so that puts things in perspective. I’m celebrating the future, not the past.”

Following the appropriately stagey ceremony of the cake, the Flying Karamazov Brothers, currently appearing at the playhouse in “Le Petomane,” burst into the room and brought a breezy atmosphere to the proceedings.

Guests included McAnuff’s father-in-law, actor and former radio “Whiz Kid” Dan Barton; playhouse President Willard VanderLaan and his wife, Eileen; Judith Harris; Geri Warnke with Joe Kennedy; Carolyn Yorston and Lou Gessay; Charmaine and Maury Kaplan; Carol Randolph and Bob Caplan; Rita Bronowski; Lynq and Stephen Krant; RoseLee and Harold Kvaas; Colette and Ivor Royston, and Marianne McDonald with Adrian Jaffer.