Arts Center beams into the future

Place a steel girder in a cocktail party and they will come.

Last week executives at the Orange County Performing Arts Center

invited donors and docents, students and supporters, community

leaders and corporate movers and shakers to come together to create a

time capsule on a steel beam to be placed in the new Renee and Henry

Segerstrom Concert Hall and Samueli Theatre. The $200-million

expansion of the center nears its halfway mark this month, with

expected completion in September 2006.

As guests arrived, center staffers passed out commemorative

Sharpie pens with permanent ink, labeled with a “beam signing”

message, for all to use to apply their signature and message on the

steel beams, which will be placed in the construction of the

buildings. Within minutes, the white painted beams were covered in

black ink.

Paul Folino, chairman of the board of directors of the center,

made the perfect remark, even if it was an accident. Folino took the

microphone from center President Jerry Mandel and thanked the crowd

for their support, dedication and for their financial involvement in

the expansion.

Folino unwittingly borrowed from malaprop comic Norm Crosby and

told the crowd, “Sign the beam and live in prosperity.”

How right he was.

May the center and the community and all who enjoy the gifts of

culture in this community live on in posterity and in prosperity. It

is an Orange County message heard round the nation.

Caterers served lima “beam” soup, another community connection

given the agrarian roots of the county and the lima bean fields of

the Segerstrom ranch upon which the center and its expansion stand.

Henry and Elizabeth Segerstrom were front and center at the

reception. A $40-million gift from Henry Segerstrom launched the

massive capital campaign for construction of a 2,000-seat concert

hall, which will be named for Segerstrom and his late wife, Renee.

Another major gift from Broadcom co-founder Henry Samueli and his

wife, Susan, will place their moniker on the new theater.

The generosity of hundreds of local residents will make completion

possible. Some in attendance at the reception included Elizabeth

Colyear Vincent, Vesta Curry, Carole and Bob Follman, Mark and

Barbara Johnson, Roger and Gail Kirwan and Elizabeth and John Stahr.

It was a big week for the Center from beam signing to cat walking

as the Guilds of the Orange County Performing Arts Center held their

10th annual spring fashion show and luncheon. The grand ballroom of

the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Irvine came to life as hundreds of ladies,

and a few gents, came together for luncheon and a fashion show

presented by St. John.

Co-chaired by Melanie Schwald and Lynne Bates, the massive

undertaking was a flawless example of the overwhelming efforts of

guild members who have given so much to the performing arts center.

Members from all of the 32 Guilds with nearly 2,000 members

demonstrated their unwavering support for the performing arts in

Orange County.

The event honored Newport Coast resident and international design

legend Marie St. John Gray, founder of the label that is worn with

great pride by women worldwide. A special champagne reception

followed the event in the St. John boutique at South Coast Plaza. St.

John donated 10% of all proceeds made that day to the Guilds.

Some of the patrons deserving mention for their support include

Ginny and Ledge Hall, Bev and Bob Sandelman, Joe and Irene Tomkinson,

Cynthia Smith and Colleen Brown. Also supporting the event were Nancy

Baldwin of Newport, Patty Lance, Mary Raymond, Catherine Emmi,

Deloris and Norbert St. John, Barbara Myers and Carol Wilkin.

* THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.