Column: The Crowd: Segerstrom family celebrates ABT’s ‘Whipped Cream’ ballet in New York City

The reach of the late Henry Segerstrom’s artistic vision continues to impact Orange County and beyond.

Segerstrom’s widow, Elizabeth, carries the cultural and charitable torch with boundless energy and her own disarming style, expanding the Segerstrom legacy from west coast to east. The Polish-born socialite who speaks multiple languages and holds several advanced degrees had previously lived and worked as a practicing psychologist for many years in New York.

Today she builds a bridge connecting O.C. to Manhattan in the worlds of fashion retail as the Segerstrom family’s South Coast Plaza celebrates its 50th anniversary year in Costa Mesa, along with Segerstrom family sponsorship of major cultural events on both coasts.

Recently American Ballet Theatre (ABT) of New York arrived in O.C. to debut its production of the ballet “Whipped Cream” at Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

The Alexei Ratmansky choreographed production received rave reviews from both critics and audiences alike, again solidifying SCFTA’s reputation as a world-class house of dance thanks in great part to the decades-long cultivation of dance performances mentored by Center executive vice president Judith Morr.

The O.C. debut of “Whipped Cream” was followed by a major gala celebration in New York City on May 22 as ABT celebrated its opening night gala for the 2017 Spring Season at the storied Metropolitan Opera House.

Among the major sponsors/underwriters was Elizabeth Segerstrom, who had flown in from Newport Beach with local friends and associates to attend and support the ballet that had previously been a smash in Costa Mesa.

Attired in a chic strapless original gown by Oscar de la Renta, Segerstrom joined South Coast Plaza’s executive director of marketing Debra Gunn Downing, along with friends Nicky Hilton Rothschild, Elettra Wiedemann, Rachel Feinstein, Sutton Stracke and designer Cameron Silver, for the performance and party.

The evening was star-studded.

Hollywood A-listers Blake Lively, Katie Holmes, Maggie Gyllenhaal were among the glittering guests.

Elizabeth Segerstrom’s associates Hugues de Pins, Andrew Barth, Allan Pollack and Hamilton James, president of Blackstone Group and Chairman Emeritus of ABT, were all front and center for the spring season opener.

Also greeting the east-west contingent was artist Mark Ryden, considered one of the preeminent pop surrealists of our time.

Ryden designed the lavish sets for “Whipped Cream,” which is created around themes of old Vienna, Austria in keeping with the ballet score by Richard Strauss.

Following the performance, guests were ushered into the David H. Koch Theatre at The Met for dinner and dancing. Many of the principal dancers who had also graced the SCFTA debut shared their O.C. experience with the California crowd, including Hilary Rhoda, Amy Ashley, Hannah Bowles, Ann Duong, Fernando Garcia, Eric Rutherford, Sean Avery and Bettina Zilkha.

Coming up June 13, Elizabeth Segerstrom will join extended family members and retail partners at South Coast Plaza presenting to the public a multimedia exhibition in Jewel Court titled “Pioneering Spirit: An American Dream” on the path and legacy of the Segerstrom family.

The exhibition will detail the Segerstrom journey from its 19th century farming roots in underdeveloped Orange County to its 21st century status as an international shopping and cultural center known as South Coast Plaza.

B.W. COOK is editor of the Bay Window, the official publication of the Balboa Bay Club in Newport Beach.