Giving the Gift of Opera

Originality and uniqueness keep Los Angeles moving. Now, who would have thought of a “Grandparents Trust” to develop new Los Angeles Music Center Opera audiences for the 21st century? The trust is the brainchild of Eileen Reed. Honorary co-chairwomen Alice Coulombe and Carol Henry have solicited doting grandparents to give $1,000 and underwrite a special abridged production in English of Gaetano Donizetti’s “The Elixir of Love” April 21 at the Music Center for what’s known as the Junior Opera Project.

Christy and Charles G. Bakaly III and Carlotta and Russell Davis Keely will co-chair the event onstage at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. They plan a family luncheon and behind-the-scenes workshops in singing, movement, stage combat and makeup. Parents and children will be seated for lunch amid the “Elixir” sets.

As the world knows, the arts in the United States are under financial fire, and Read and her attorney husband, Charles C. Read, are chairing the Junior Opera Project in hopes of building audiences by bringing young people to opera.

Add to the doting donors, Marc and Eva Stern, who have given in the name of “granddog,” since they have no grandchildren.

At Ermenegildo Zegna boutique in Beverly Hills the other evening, opera chief Peter Hemmings lauded the effort at a kickoff party.

The big question: Will the Sterns bring the dog on April 21?

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New, Too: A new support group, the Norris Juniors, has been established at the USC / Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and Hospital. Its purpose: to educate and inform young adults about cancer prevention, detection and treatment. Co-chairwomen are Teresa Hoffman and Gina Brown.

Recently more than 50 of the young set attended the group’s first event to hear hospital administrator Peter Shostak speak. The group will hold quarterly educational seminars for members featuring physicians and researchers. It also plans an annual fund-raiser.

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Stars: The Colleagues and Saks Fifth Avenue saluted Georgianna and Ricardo Montalban with the “Champion of Children” award at their annual St. Valentine’s Day luncheon at the Regent Beverly Wilshire. Nancy Reagan announced the honor. Earlier, Saks presented the Chanel spring / summer collection to a pretty audience of 750--most in white, pink and red Chanel suits, it seemed.

Without prior knowledge (they said), all three chairwomen--Erlenne Sprague, Betty Wilson and Marion Jorgensen--wore white Chanel suits. So did Barbara Cirkva, U.S. senior vice president of Chanel. Their attire was a perfect match to the huge white rose topiaries that Stanley Kersten set on each table.

Colleagues President Anne Johnson thanked Saks for the luncheon, noting the proceeds would go to benefit The Children’s Institute International aiding the abused. “One suffering child undermines our goal,” she said.

Armand Deutsch was overheard telling his wife, Harriet, in orange Chanel, “You look beautiful.” So did everyone else--Saks President Rose Marie Bravo, Mary Jane Wick, Gayle Wilson (in heart-shaped earrings), Beth Lowe (president of the institute), Chardee Trainer, Natalie Robinson, Dona Kendall, Onnalee Doheny, Ginny Mancini, Marcia Hobbs, Jo Montgomery, Kelly Day and Marna Schnabel.

All walked out with Chanel’s new perfume, Allure.

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Romantic Day: Doreen McElvany slipped out of the Colleagues luncheon early to put the finishing touches on the St. Valentine’s Day dinner she and husband Jim hosted that evening at Los Angeles Country Club. Among the romantic duos dancing were Jerry and Robin Parsky (they’re deeply involved with the Republican National Convention in San Diego), Rick and Liz Johnson, Ed and Nadine Carson, Eileen and Bill Zimmerman and Mary and Reese Milner.

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Cheek to Cheek: Legendary Bobby Short and mezzo Frederica von Stade gave Los Angeles Music Center Opera’s party-goers a St. Valentine’s Day to remember--lots of Cole Porter, Duke Ellington and Irving Berlin. Among those cheek to cheek later for dancing to Art Deco and His Society Orchestra were Carrie and Stu Ketchum, Lila and Roy Ash, Lenore and Bernard Greenberg and Patti and Dimitri Skouras.

Elsewhere on the Social Circuit

* Kudos: To Barbara and Frank Sinatra recently hosting a luncheon, dinners and the Frank Sinatra Celebrity Golf Tournament to raise $1 million for the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center at Eisenhower Medical Center and the Palm Springs Desert Hospital . . . To Jeff Lukas, thoroughbred horse trainer, who received “A Tribute to Courage” at the Casa Colina Centers for Rehabilitation dinner Monday at the Ritz-Carlton Huntington . . . To Quincy Jones, to be named “Musicares Person of the Year” Monday (for organizing the “We Are the World” benefit recording to reduce world hunger) at the Century Plaza. Dinner chairmen are Motown Records Chairman Clarence Avant, Warner / Chappell Chairman / CEO Les Bider, Warner Bros. Records Chairman / CEO Russ Thyret and Michael Greene, president and CEO of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences . . . To Pavillon Christofle boutique, toasting its celebrity window designers--Rosemarie Stack and Lisa Kudrow--with champagne.

* The Coronet Debutante Ball Board hosted tea at the Regency Club to announce 20 debutantes to be presented Nov. 30 at the Beverly Hilton. Also introduced was Linda McCann, ball chairwoman, new President Barbara Harris and outgoing President Nelda Smith.

* Wearing white gowns and gloves, 17 were presented at St. Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral Ladies of Los Angeles 45th debutante ball at the Beverly Hilton. They are Kelli Abdelnaur, Julie Alexander, Rita Eid, Sara Hanna, Anita Matta, Hilary Morrison, Jacqueline Miller, Lisa Moshey, Christean Nahas, Kalea Nassif, Christina Thomas, Stacy Tinnes, Maya Shammas, Danielle Toomey, Alana Worotko, Jaclyn Rich and Pamela Tauma.

* Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Wine House presented a wine tasting and auction at the Museum of Flying in Santa Monica. The group seeks to fulfill the wishes of children with terminal illnesses.

* Mary Lou Loper’s column is published Sundays.