Rain Doesn’t Dampen the Dickason Party
Surprises are super elements in party-giving, but Linda Dickason didn’t reckon on rain while tables for 115 guests were being set up on her lawn in San Marino for husband James’ 70th birthday party.
Just as friends began arriving, however, the pitter-pat pattered. Valets popped the big umbrellas for the street-to-door uphill jaunt. Someone took the enlarged baby picture of the honoree on view on an easel at the front door and shoved it under an eave.
Inside, the birthday boy accepted hugs and kisses.
“It will clear,” was heard repeatedly.
Midway into cocktails, however, serious chat got under way. Rococo Caterers’ waiters, taking directions from Ray Henderson, cheerfully turned into furniture movers. An extraneous straw donkey was moved to the kitchen.
The 60-inch round tables were picked up with cloths, china, silver and crystal intact and tilted through French doors. One went into the breakfast room, three into the sun room, one into the hall, another into the living room. Three remained on the covered terrace. And in the dining room, the Hepplewhite dining room table was turned crosswise and two more tables were wedged in. Voila! The pear soup in red peppers arrived, followed by the Caesar salad, then the osso buco .
After a finale of ice cream in pecan lattice shells and the celebration toasts, the crowd sashayed into the living room to hear the chanteuse perform around the grand piano. Dr. Allen Mathies volunteered to sing “What a day this has been . . . “ as a rebuttal to the weather.
Coping marvelously: Bob Hastings, George and Betsy Link, Alice and Joe Coulombe, George and Maggie Jagels, Sandy and Maria Mallace, Sandy and Roberta Huntley, Preston and Maureen Hotchkis, Paul Miller, Charles and Carolyn Miller, Cheryl and Bill Doyle, Margie Marble of Santa Barbara and Bill and Marilyn Simpson, as well as some of the Dickason offspring--daughter Margee and her husband Philippe Clar, who flew in from Paris, and sons Brad and Tom Dickason.
ON THE TRAIL: Leaders of the Gala Opera Ball at the El Dorado Hotel in Santa Fe, N.M., indicated black tie or bolo and boots, but most opted for black tie, including our city’s opera lovers who jetted over--Warner and Carol Henry and Eric Small, with Flora Thornton.
A few years ago, the affair drew 200. However, Santa Fe’s summer opera social season has gained in popularity, and nearly 400 attended the kickoff gala this summer. The next evening, before the opening of “Die Fledermaus,” numerous Santa Fe residents invited out-of-towners for dinners.
The Henrys and others were among those invited to Benefactors Dinners on a following night before “Don Giovanni.” Another day, Jack Rogers of Laguna Beach, a member of the Santa Fe Opera Board, hosted Angelenos, including the Henrys and painter Edson Newquist, for luncheon.
Southlanders who have an interest in both Los Angeles and Santa Fe opera were abundant: Richard and Dee Sherwood, Edgar Daniels, Sylvan Shulman and Peter and Margaret Keller.
GALA GALA: Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, a mental health activist, will be honored at the Maple Center’s 20th anniversary “Gala Gala Ball” Oct. 27. But, the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills last week got a jump on things and hosted a reception to honor major donors.
According to Ellen Byrens, the October event is expected to be completely underwritten. Cynthia and Harold Gershman will host the dinner. Other major donors include Patsy and Christopher Hemmeter, the Lon Smith Foundation, Sedge and Henry Plitt, Fred Hayman, Ilene and Stanley Gold, Glen and Tony Thomas, Madeline and Marvin Gussman, Robert and F. Bo Zarnegin and Lilly and Nathan Shapell.
POLO LOVERS: U.S. Ambassador to Jamaica Glen Holden and his wife Gloria, looking natty in straw hats, flew in from Kingston to spur on his Gehache polo team in the ninth annual Golden Mallet Invitational Polo Tournament against the visiting Jamaica team led by entrepreneur Dennis Lalor.
The setting last weekend for polo and luncheon was the beautiful Santa Barbara Polo Club in Carpinteria. It was a day of millinery adorned with flowers, veils and ribbons and afternoon dresses for the ladies--and for men seersucker and linen-type sports jackets.
The Holdens’ daughter, Geannie Holden Sheller again chaired the benefit, a fund-raiser for Assistance League of Southern California Day Nursery and Kindergarten, which serves 168 children.
Charles and Eva Elkins of Doheny Estates (she chairs the Day Nursery Auxiliary) hosted several tables including Bob and Erica Brunson of Beverly Hills, Mike and Arianna Huffington and Robert and Dorothy Mitchum of Montecito and Bette and Ray Rodeno of Pasadena.
Watching Geannie Sheller’s horse Papas Fritas win the polo pony race was a crowd including Edward and Yvonne Casier, Nancy and Glen Holden Jr., David and Joanna Rice, Marilyn and Frank Moulton and Nancy and Sidney Petersen.
BASTILLE: Alumni of Polytechnic and Westridge Schools in Pasadena were invited to “storm the prison of exquisite taste” Monday evening on the “Eve of Bastille Day” at La Toque, where the acclaimed restaurant’s owner/author/chef Ken Frank could boast he’s a Poly alumnus of the Class of ’74 . . . .
Consul General of France Gerard Coste and his wife Naomi celebrated Bastille Day and its principles-- Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite-- at a cocktail party at their residence Tuesday evening.