Natalie Cole Lends Her Voice to Event
In this town, dedication drives the successful benefits, such as the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center “Natalie Cole & Friends Gala” set for March 17 at the Regent Beverly Wilshire.
“Cancer runs in our family. My father died of cancer,” said the singer, who was in the crowd at the recent kickoff event at Saks Fifth Avenue. Former Cedars trustees chairman Irving Feintech added, “Every family has been hit by cancer.”
Cole’s and Feintech’s enthusiasm and that of assistant co-chairwomen Marion Laurie, Renette Ezralow and Sandra Krause sparked Saks General Manager Tom Voltin to support Cedars Research for Women’s Cancers by inviting 90 for the elegant dinner in Saks West and the showing of 80 chiffon beaded ball gowns designed by Mark Badgley and James Mischka, both in the audience.
It wasn’t supposed to be a fund-raiser. But Laurie and Ezralow worked the crowd, missing their Patina dinner, and at the end, Laurie exclaimed, “We’ve raised $200,000 in the last half hour.”
In the crowd: Cedars trustees chairman Bob Silverstein, Gloria and Jerry Lushing, Bobbie and Ron Weinhart, Mel Dorfman and Annabelle Bresler, Tom Priselac, Margie and Bob Peterson, Ruta Lee and Michael and Alana Jackson.
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Goal: While Byron E. Allumbaugh and Charles C. Reed are successfully seeking underwriting for the American Heart Assn.’s Los Angeles Heart Ball on Feb. 21 at the Regent Beverly Wilshire, ball chairwoman Pam Mullin reveals that the goal is to raise $650,000.
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Wild to Mild: Cat lovers will adore this one. Lynn Brengel chairs the Natural History Museum’s Dinosaur Ball kickoff celebration honoring patrons Thursday at the Escada Boutique in the Regent Beverly Wilshire. “Cats! Wild to Mild” will feature a display of rare domestic cats presented by the Cat Fanciers’ Assn. Janis Kelley Gallo will stage informal modeling of the Escada spring / summer 1997 collection during cocktails and hors d’oeuvres.
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21st Century: Rear Adm. James R. Stark, president of the Naval War College, Newport, R.I., paid a visit to Pasadena last week. His friends Long and Polly Ellis, on behalf of the college foundation, hosted a cocktail reception to hear him speak on “Needs of the Navy in the 21st Century.”
“We develop officers who can look into an uncertain future,” Stark said. The needs of the Navy will continue in the next century, he said--”The world is still going to be 70% covered by water.”
Attentive were Malcolm and Mary McDuffie, Harry and Sallie Colmery and Stanton and Ernestine Avery.
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Romance on Cue: February is the month of love--Valentine’s Day the inspiration. As a prelude, the romantic music of the 17th and 18th centuries will highlight the Pasadena Symphony’s “Baroque Ball--A Night in Venice” on Saturday at the Ritz-Carlton, Huntington. Art Deco will play for dancing.
Chairwoman Barbara House expects 500 for dinner, dancing, a silent auction and a live auction conducted by Christie’s. Louise Cook is auction chairwoman; Helen Lindhurst, dinner chairwoman. Vice president Elaine Adams worked on the romantic atmosphere to be enhanced by a 12-foot mural depicting Venice’s Grand Canal and painted by her husband, Peter.
Party-goers will have an opportunity to place orders for Valentine’s Day flowers from a boutique created by florist Jacob Maarse. A 1997 Mercedes-Benz E-320 sedan, donated by Rusnak / Pasadena, and a vintage 1970 280 SE, donated by Ida Hull Crotty, will add pizazz to the auctions.
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Valentine Gala: On Feb. 14, the legendary Cocoanut Grove at the Ambassador, in its heyday a haunt for Hollywood celebrities, will come to life for the L.A. Opera’s dining and dancing party with the orchestra of Les Brown. Fred and Betty Hayman chair the black-tie affair celebrating the Music Center company’s 11th season. Benefit tickets are $400 and patron tickets are $600. The Grove’s palm trees, papier-ma^che coconuts and twinkling star lights will be in place. Mezzo-soprano Jennifer Larmore and the Manhattan Transfer will perform.
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Tasting: Chairmen have all the fun. Phyllis Hennigan, head of the Music Center Blue Ribbon, invited Joan Burns and Geri Brawerman to join John Martens, Todd Wright and Kirk Gerou of Neiman Marcus at La Cuisine on La Cienega for a tasting par elegance conducted by owner Tom Byrne.
Did they like the country French tablecloths, the hot pink flowers, the long country tables? And did they prefer the Domainies Ott or the L’Estandon Provence rose wine? They tasted salade nicoise with grilled tuna, roast chicken with basil mousse, baby spinach salad with grilled salmon and grilled vegetables with shrimp.
We won’t tell you their choices for the upcoming Blue Ribbon event (and the dessert is too pretty to describe), but it’s all geared to be super exciting when Emanuel Ungaro premieres his spring collection on Feb. 10 at Neiman Marcus.
Elsewhere on the Social Circuit
The Circle of Friends for Kidspace Museum will be at Pinot at the Chronicle in Pasadena on Saturday for its “Four Weddings & . . . a Fundraiser.” Co-presidents Susan Ascher and Sally Dulin and event co-chairwomen Paulette Geragos and Emily Hancock imagine a blissful scene--bouquet tosses, champagne toasts and an opportunity for guests to renew wedding vows as they toast the Kidspace future, headed by chairman James Ellis and president Judith Imhoff.
* The new Westside campus of the Otis College of Art and Design has been named for Elaine and Bram Goldsmith. Teamwork has already raised $8 million toward Otis’ $14-million capital campaign goal.
