Blue-Ribbon Party for a Holiday Classic

There were Christmas trees and wooden soldiers, snow and flickering lights, dancers and sentimental music, and enough tulle for a whole corps de ballet--most of it on Jean Kasem’s dress.

It was the party following the opening-night performance of “The Nutcracker” at the Music Center, and--befitting an occasion that marked the 100th anniversary of the Kirov Ballet’s creation of the Tchaikovsky classic--everything was traditional.

The party-goers flocking into the Blue Ribbon Room murmuring “beautiful,” “magical” and “just lovely” were happy with the choice of program. “The little child still inside everyone needs this feeling at holiday time,” said Esther Wachtell. The outgoing president of the Music Center thanked Maria and David Murdock, who underwrote the event, for “making the world more beautiful.”

The Music Center was also generous. For each of the more than 300 gala tickets sold, the Music Center’s Community Access Program gave a free ticket to the ballet to an inner-city youth.

The Murdocks recently returned from Russia, which Maria first visited 15 years ago. “It was good to see the change,” she said. “Things are still difficult for them, but they are wearing bright colors, they are smiling, they look you in the eye. It’s heartening.”

She bought books there on St. Petersburg, containing pictures of the opera house and the Kirov, to give as presents to the patrons who attended the $2,500-per-couple dinner the Murdocks hosted at their Bel-Air home Monday evening.

At that party, Maria Murdock noted, “David danced up a storm” with principal ballerinas of the company. At the Tuesday evening gala, he was eager to partner his wife on the dance floor, but first he had to make a speech in which, as usual, he was not shy in mentioning the Music Center’s constant need for money and was happy to act as salesman by pointing out that the clothes from Nordstrom modeled during the dinner were “to buy if you feel like it.”

Conversation among gala patrons--who included Michael and Arianna Huffington, Vidal Sassoon and Fred Hayman--centered around holiday plans, last-minute shopping and “Nutcracker” memories.

“This one was very visually beautiful, but it’s always the first one you see which stays in your heart,” said Wady Medawar, who recalled seeing as a child a Russian company in his native Egypt.

“I’ve seen about 20,” said Anne Miller, “and I thought the precision of this corps de ballet was quite remarkable. Yes, the whole thing was a dream.”

“That’s because it’s traditional, it’s not all jazzed up with fireworks and children running everywhere,” said her escort, James Doolittle, the general director of the Southern California Theater Assn. and impresario for the Kirov tour.

Following the dinner of pumpkin soup, medallions of lamb and miniature pastries, guests went home clutching traditional favors courtesy of Nordstrom--a Nutcracker book and Nutcracker-themed Russian nesting dolls.