BEVERLY HILLS COURIER | MARCH 16, 2012 Page 18
ANOTHER B I RT H D AY ! ?
Jimmy Delshad Candace Smith Lily Collins Sue Rosenwasser Sam Goldman Gary Briskman Carl Reiner Barry Brucker Bruce Willis BIRTHDAYS—Celebrating birthdays are Erik Estrada, Jerry Lewis, Kate Nelligan, Chuck Woolery (Mar. 16); Rob Lowe, Roberta Lederman, Lesley Ann Downs, Barry Brucker, Patrick Duffy, Sam Goldman, Gary Briskman, Candace Smith, and Kurt Russell (Mar. 17); Bruce Willis, Lily Collins, Glenn Close, Sue Rosenwasser, Patrick McGoohan and Ursula Andress (Mar. 19); William Hurt, Carl Reiner, Jerry Reed, Holly Hunter, Edoardo Ballerini, Kathy Ireland and Theresa Russell (Mar. 20); Timothy Dalton, Matthew Broderick, Al Freeman Jr. and Gary Oldman (Mar. 21); George Benson, Jimmy Delshad, Bob Costas, Matthew Modine, Lena Olin and William Shatner (Mar. 22).
Frances Allen Desert Roundup
Not only do Desert dwellers love their live theater, they put considerable time and effort, not to mention money, toward keeping the Desert a theatrical destination for worldclass entertainment which is then made available to the children of the Coachella Valley as an on-going legacy. Twenty-four years ago, a handful of women, including Betty Ford, formed a group called the Muses, to support the educational programs of the McCallum Theatre. Now, after combining with the theatre’s Patroness Circle, the 300-strong membership has raised nearly $5 million for the benefit of the McCallum, area school children, and the community. This season—from October 2011 through to May 2012— more than 40,000 children and adults will experience the McCallum through school field trips which feature performers from around the world. Instructors from the McCallum visit their classrooms and bring the students an enhanced understanding of the performing arts. The Muses & Patroness Circle has a three-fold purpose: provide education, entertainment and enlightenment, and do it with an elegance and grace unparalleled in the Valley. So it was no surprise their major fundraiser for the season was a tribute to founder/member Betty Ford—who passed away just four days after agreeing to being honorary chair of this year’s event. Themed “Singing & Swinging at the Coconut Grove,” under the demanding eye of the Desert’s foremost party designer Shari Kelley and the able assistance of Event Chair Sandra Hill and Muses & Patroness Circle president Eileen Hall, it was executed flawlessly. Stuffed monkeys, towering palms and guests dressed in “elegant night club attire” helped convey the event back to the halcyon days of the late ’50s, early ’60s. And to complete the mood even further, the entertainment was provided by such early rock ‘n‘ roll icons as Frankie Avalon, James Darren,
Mary Ann Mobley, The Modernaires and Pete Barbutti. Rob Watkins, Cassie Miller and Arris Duraso also performed, backed by the 15-piece Tex Beneke Orchestra. It’s hard to get more Coconut Grove than that. More information about the Muses & Patroness Circle or the McCallum Theatre is at 760346-6505. ****** Like Beverly Hills’ Rodeo Drive, the Desert’s premiere shopping street in Palm Desert, El Paseo is all about fashion and the behind-the-scenes passion that turns a piece of shapeless fabric into a chorus of “oohs and ahs.” This year, Fashion Week El Paseo, to be held starting tomorrow through Mar. 27 under the Big White Tent on El Paseo. It will give a glimpse into the design process as well as featuring the best of West Coast design in a series of nightly events such as runway shows, trunk shows, champagne receptions, afterparties, in-store promotions and events to benefit charities. One of the highlights this year will be March 21 when 8 “Project Runway” winners and all-stars who have appeared on the wildly popular TV show Project Runway All Stars. And if you see anything you like, it will be for sale the following night, March 22. If you’re a real fashionista you will know their labels. Here are the names: Michael Costello, Mondo Guerra, Mila Hermanovski, Michael Drummond, Kara Janx, Joshua Christensen, Seth Aaron, and Gordana Gehlhausen. If you know whom they are, their resumes are unimportant. If you don’t, it doesn’t matter anyway … it’s all visual, as are the creations of Beverly Hills designer Mark Zunino, who nabbed the coveted spot as “Designer of the Week.” ****** It’s Halloween in March. Though the invitation did not acknowledge the holiday directly, the dress for the evening was given as “safari or as your favorite animal character.” An interesting concept that left in
the hands of creative Desert dwellers could make for a memorable evening. The event is titled, “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” and is a fundraiser benefiting ACT for MS to be held March 31 at the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort & Spa in Indian Wells. ACT for MS is the premiere resource for individuals in the Coachella Valley who have been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. The organization offers clients a variety of program and services to help them live with MS, its symptoms and disabilities … all free of charge. And, since the evening’s theme mirrors the theme from The Lion King, it is only fitting the evening’s honoree pianist/composer John Bayless, a child prodigy who won a scholarship to the Aspen School of Music at age 15 and two years later went off to New York to study at the famed Julliard School of Music. He is also the composer-in-residence of the Virginia Waring International Piano Competition. Dr. Jack Poster, former lead trumpeter for Harry James, Ray Anthony, Si Zetner and Stan Kenton as well as recording with Frank Sinatra and Dolly Parton, headlines an evening of dancing. For more information about ACT for MS or this event, call 760-773-9806. ****** Following up on what George Christy wrote in his column last week about Sunnylands, the Desert home of Amb. Walter and Leonore Annenberg, Rancho Mirage’s “playground of presidents,” visitors will be able to tour the more than one mile of garden-path walkways on the estate for free on designated days. For those wanting a glimpse inside Sunnylands, house tours are available at $35 per person. And, if you think $35 is a bit steep to tour a house, talk to one of the 600 people who snatched up the initial batch of tickets within minutes of their going on sale. Tickets for the guided tours go on sale on the 1st and 15th day of each month. The free outside visits are offered on Thursdays through Sundays from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. For information, visit www.sunnylands.org.
BIRTHDAY GIRL—Barbara Lazaroff (right) feted her mother Ellie Lazaroff with an 86th birthday celebration at Spago and presented her with an elaborate cookie basket. Among the guests were Ellie Lararoff's husband Irving, Muna Deriane, Raquel Deriane, Haleh Jahanbakhsh, Sondra Scerca, Carlene Weinberger, Tricia La Voice, Felipa De Anda and Kay Collins. Photo by Maxine Picard
MARTINSON (Continued from page 17)
biased, obscenely uneven and unjust.” It was impossible not to be emotionally involved when a human’s life was at stake. (I did mention as we taped that there is always the other side of the story if one’s family had lost a relative.) After a short stint at UCLA and marriage, she was once again single and recruited by LDF in Los Angeles and it is here like a second volume that her life begins. It as a time in Los Angeles when Rodney King’s beating was caught on tape and broadcast around the world. The verdict in the Simi Valley trial aroused the anger for the riots and LDF was involved. She was at LAPD every week with a lawsuit or class-action suit. Rice told one ex-LAPD chief the L.A. press was not doing a good job of informing the population about conditions in South Central. Her chapters of going into the gang territory are remarkable. She finds protectors like “Fred” and “Bo” who have no fear of telling “truth to power;” but they have to be careful in this jungle. At one meeting she is introduced to the gangs and there is a
little boy named “Pygmy” when she asked him what he did, he told her that he kills. If the gang wants someone killed, a child may be arrested, but won’t be sentenced for life. She also told me about the gang recruiting a new member. If the recruit refuses twice, the gang shows him a DVD of a 10-year-old girl being gang raped because her brother tried to refuse. As for the police, it was the first time a book party was held in LAPD headquarters, hosted by the current chief in her honor. Don’t miss reading this well-written book. www.conniemarinson.com aired and streamed on www.lacityview.org at 3 and 11:30 p.m.
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