An Event for Creatures of the Night Life

They Vanted to Party: Dracula lovers and supporters of KCET public television heralded Tuesday night’s premiere of Houston Ballet’s “Dracula” with a gala benefit dinner, show and cast party at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion hosted by the KCET board of directors and the station’s Women’s Council. A record $520,000 was raised to support programming and educational ventures.

And They Had a Bloody Good Time: In true Transylvanian tradition, a Gypsy violinist and accordionist played for guests who were given heart-shaped stickers--”love bites”--to place on their necks upon arrival. The Pavilion’s Founder’s Level was transformed into Dracula-ville. Plastic vampire teeth doubled as napkin holders and replicas of Dracula’s Castle and moat with flags that read “KCET is in Your Blood”--made by the Women’s Council volunteers--served as centerpieces. These sold out at $50 each and some guests couldn’t fit them in their car trunks.

Who Was There: More than 600 guests attended the dinner and show, including special guest Bela G. Lugosi, son of the most famous Dracula of all, Bela Lugosi. Also on hand was Ben Stevenson, the ballet company’s artistic director and choreographer, and Serena Tripi, general manager of the Southern California Theatre Assn. KCET personality Huell Howser worked the crowd. Other KCET heavy-hitters included Al Jerome, KCET president; Donald Youpa, executive vice president; Louise Henry Bryson, board chairwoman; board members Richard Farman, president of Pacific Enterprises; Dorothy and Allan K. Jonas of Jonas & Associates; Jaynie M. Studenmund, executive vice president for retail banking at Great Western Bank; Ian L. White-Thomson, president of U.S. Borax Inc.; and Peg Yorkin, chairwoman of FeministMajority. Audience celebrity spottings included choreographer Debbie Allen, who got her start with the Houston Ballet, Bob Mackie and actresses Elisabeth Shue and Rosana De Soto.

Grown-Ups in Gothic: Many took the “capes and fangs” dress code suggested in the invitation seriously. Among the standouts were Los Angeles County Municipal Court Judge Elizabeth Allen White in a tight red leather and suede dress and black satin cape. White’s grandfather, Winter Horton, was one of KCET’s founders. Vera O’Larry Handley, a Women’s Council charter member and great-grandmother, wore a floor-length cape and fake blood on her neck and blouse. Los Angeles poet Michele Serros, in black satin, gothic antique jewelry, long satin gloves and glittery cape, turned heads.

Vampire Chow: No one went hungry. The menu: an antipasto of marinated olives and blood-red beets, bay shrimp salad and mushrooms stuffed with caponata, chilled gazpacho and Count Dracula’s paprikabendl (an original recipe of baked chicken smothered in a paprika sauce from “The Annotated Dracula” by Leonard Wolf) served with tomato coulis and red rose garlic mashed potatoes.

Son of Dracula: Lugosi, who is on the go these days promoting his father’s image on a stamp that will be launched Sept. 30, was swamped by fans of his father. “Where’s your cape?” one fan asked. “It’s still light out,” quipped Lugosi. “And your fangs?” asked another fan. Said Lugosi with a mischievous smirk: “It’s not dark yet.”