Our Laguna -- Barbara Diamond

The community theater founded by Bree Burgess Rosen will be presenting

its version of the hit British musical version of The Ugly Ducking,

“Honk,” from July 12 through 14 at Laguna Beach High School.

The studio where the production is currently in rehearsal at 221

Broadway was open to the public Thursday night. The open house included

an art exhibit by supporters of the theater group.

“All of the artists are amateurs,” Bree said.

Exhibitors included Laguna Beach High School senior Nicole Reineman, a

ballet student, who showed some of her photographs.

Laguna Beach graduate Gretchen Murray, who wants to go to the Art

Institute of Southern California in the fall, exhibited her watercolors.

Christian Rassinoux, the executive chef at the Ritz-Carlton, showed his

paintings, and Danita Crivello exhibited her pastels.

Danita and her husband, Vince, own Rumari.

“They have a two daughters who belt it out like Judy Garland on a good

day,” Bree said.

Last Saturday, No Square Theatre held a rummage sale at the studio to

raise funds for its productions and projects, including a scholarship

presented Wednesday night at the Laguna Beach High School Honors

Convocation.

All the theater’s financial support comes from grants, donations and

fund-raisers.

“We got wonderful stuff for the rummage sale,” Bree said.

The “stuff” included some Henredon furniture, two splendid teak

folding tables, an antique buffet, a roll-top desk, sofas, a bumper pool

table, an antique-style globe, pricey European skin care products for $1

each, small appliances, office equipment, about 100 brand new warmup

suits and a wooden Indian.

“We had this adorable wedding cake candle that burned for 12 hours,

which about as long as some marriages last,” said Pat Kollenda, a rummage

sale volunteer and No Square Theatre board member, as well as a

performer.

Former Arts Commissioner Kenny Anderson biped into the sale while his

wife, Bette, attended a meeting of Village Laguna, of which she is

president. Joseph Amster, of the Orange County Blade, bought a black

chef’s jacket for those formal gourmet dinners he cooks. Vince Croome,

who will celebrate 22 years with Joseph in September, was also among the

shoppers.

Also: Mark and Kathy Bosko, whose dog is named Rosco Bosko; Karen

McBride and her daughter, Heather; and Eleanor Henry.

Furiosos hair stylist Ricky Breco, who plays the bullfrog in “Honk,”

bought a fax machine.

Ricky bought the first 10 tickets to the first “Lagunatics.” It was

the first full-length production that Bree wrote and she hasn’t yet run

out of material.

“It’s endless -- this is Laguna,” Bree said. “But I will say that I

never dreamed that nine years later I would be writing a song about

grease traps.”

She also didn’t know that she and husband, Leon, would be the parents

of bright-eyed youngster. She got the news in the middle of a

“Lagunatics” production and had to rewrite the script to accommodate her

burgeoning body. Of course, son Noah was at the rummage sale.

Volunteers included board President Phoebe Ward, Les Thomas, Sande St.

John, Lisa Morrice, Barbara Williamson and Ed Gazich.

Ed and his wife, Barbara, recently returned from a trip to New York

where they were in contact with actress Julie Harris, who appeared twice

at the Laguna Playhouse in the tour de force “Belle of Amherst.”

“Julie suffered a stroke about a year ago and completely lost her

speech,” Ed said. “But she is all the way back and is in rehearsal.”

The first word she spoke was “wonderful,” from a line in “Belle” that

had become a code word between the Gaziches and the star.

Some of the “stuff” for the rummage sale was left over from donations

made to gussy up the studio.

“People brought in all kinds of great things,” Bree said. “And Wells

Paint donated 50 gallons of premixed paint. We dumped it all in one big

bucket and painted the whole thing. Tom Ray Flooring installed a great

dance floor.”

A shopping excursion at Ikea added some decorative items such as signs

for the bathrooms. The walls of women’s WC are hung with a history of the

theater group in costumes, including a couple worn by Councilman Steven

Dicterow in drag for “Lagunatics,” set off by some lengths of

leopard-print satin. The men’s room has a passionate purple light, a

parking meter and a car cutout used in a “Lagunatics” skit.

The room divider is a monster banner Bree bought from the Pageant of

the Masters for one sight gag in “Lagunatics” and has been storing ever

since. The studio piano is Bree’s, a present from her father when she was

11.

No Square Studio is a busy place. Besides, rehearsing ‘Honk,’ the

group will hold auditions for amateurs 5 to 18 years old, from 3 to 7

p.m., June 17 and 18, for “Bugsy Malone.” Appointments are recommended.

Both “Honk” and “Bugsy Malone” will be staged at the Artists Theater

on the Laguna Beach High School campus, 650 Park Ave. “Honk” tickets are

$18. “Bugsy” will be performed Aug. 16 through 18. Tickets are $18 for

adults, $10 for children.

Workshops are also scheduled for the studio.

Broadway veteran Teri Ralston will conduct a musical performance

workshop starting June 29. USC Director Steve Josephson will direct a

creative theater workshop and performance, starting July 15. Jazz great

Karen Gallinger will begin a jazz singing workshop on July 18. Seattle

jazz artist Mary Lofstrom’s vocal improvisation series starts Aug. 5.

Saif Eddin will hold vocal auditions for the musical theater, starting

Aug. 19.

Tickets for the 10th annual “Lagunatics” will go on sale to No Square

members only on July 1. If there are any seats left, ticket sales will be

opened to the general public Sept. 1. For tickets or more information on

No Square Theatre productions, projects or programs, visit o7

nosquare.orgf7 or call 497-2584.

GREAT TASTE

Good food and art were featured at The Laguna Board of Realtors annual

fund-raiser, held recently on the Art-A-Fair Grounds on Laguna Canyon

Road. It was bigger and better than ever, said Rick Gold, co-chair of the

event.

“The crowd is a little bigger, an estimated 500 people; the bids on

the art are a little higher; there is more art and more restaurants, 13

this year,” Rick said. “It’s getting to the point where the restaurants

are calling us.”

Colleen Watkins was art chair. Dave Schaar, Rick’s co-chair, served as

auctioneer for works by local artists Jacobus Bass, Agnes Copeland, Rick

Delanty, Nancy Douglas, John Eagle, Jeffrey Horne, Brett Keast, Diane

Lloyd, Calvin Liang, Loraine Mullen-Kress, Donita Lloyd, Song Tian Liu,

Scott Moore, Sandra Jones Campbell, Tom Swimm, Sian Poeschl, Jenney

Riker, David Solomon, Willa Nogales Strupat, Barbara Turner, Helen Weld,

Marc Whitney and Caroline Zimmermann. Galleries that contributed included

Franks Fine Art Photography, Win Henstock, World Treasures, Tim

Howe-Marion Meyers, J. Kamin, Lu Martin, Pacific Edge featuring Marian

Bertran, Wendt Gallery, William Merrill and Wyland.

Restaurants that fed the corporal as the artists and galleries fed the

soul included Javier’s, Five Feet, Las Brisas, Mark’s, Woody’s, the Hotel

Laguna’s Claes, Sun Dried Tomato, Laguna Village Bistro, Salt Creek

Grille, The Beach House and China Bistro. Bianchi Vineyards donated the

wine. Starbucks donated the coffee.

Six tastes of food or drink cost $20. Realtor Ed Brown of South Laguna

Coldwell Banker sold tickets at the door. Laguna Beach resident Lance

Hall, who has had dealings with Ed, hung out at the ticket booth. Also

around: committee members John Hoover and Rick McIntire.

Other committee members included Dara Sandrini, Gayle Waite, Rich

Tusa, Nancy Makowsky, Bev Milosevic, Kathie Grant, Veeder South, Kevin

Kamm, Marcia Williams-Streech, Marsha Young, Cammie Klein, Farzan

Parvisi, Bob Hartman, Jerry Bieser and Mark Hild.

Taking a taste: Peter Jones from Pavilions, Councilwoman Toni Iseman,

Mike and council candidate Melissa O’Neal, insurance broker Pat Freeman,

Anita Mangels, Realtor Bobbi Cox and Mayor Wayne Baglin, a past president

of the Laguna Board of Realtors. Proceeds from “A Taste for Charity”

benefited Laguna Shanti, First Thursday Art Walk buses, four high school

scholarships and CSP Youth Shelter art.

* OUR LAGUNA is a regular feature of the Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot.

Contributions are welcomed. Write to Barbara Diamond, P.O. Box 248,

Laguna Beach, 92652, hand-deliver to 384 Forest Ave., Suite 22; call

494-4321 or fax 494-8979.