A N O T H E R B I RT H D AY ! ?
Jane Wooster Scott
Hugh Hefner
Lisa Detanna
Tom Blumenthal
Julie Farb
Helene An
Grace Robbins
BEVERLY HILLS COURIER | APRIL 7, 2017 Page 20 BIRTHDAY GREETINGS—Grace Robbins, Francis Ford Coppola, Lisa Detanna, Janis Ian, Joan Oates, and Gov. Jerry Brown (April 7); Jane Wooster Scott, Shecky Greene, Skye Pingul, and John Schneider (April 8); Hugh Hefner, Sy Sussman, Jean Paul Belmondo, Kay Goldman, Michael Learned, Keshia Knight-Pullam, and Dennis Stevens (April 9); John Madden, and Steven Seagal (April 10); Eileen Goodman, Joel Grey, Louise Lasser, and Peter Riegert (April 11); Helene An, Montserrat Caballé, David Cassidy, Andy Garcia, Herbie Hancock and David Letterman (April 12); Tom Blumenthal, Al Green, Joanna Garris, Jane Leeves, Julie York Farb, Ron Perlman and Natan Reches (April 13).
Frances Allen’s
Joan Mangum
Desert Roundup
ODYSSEY BALL–Anita Swift, president of the John Wayne Cancer Institute Auxiliary, is flanked by the honorees at the 32nd Odyssey Ball in The Beverly Wilshire–Dr. Steven J. O’Day (left) and Vince Vaughn. Photo by Vince Bucci
PROFESSIONAL DANCERS SOCIETY–The 30th Gypsy Awards luncheon of the Professional Dancers Society in The Beverly Hilton will honor Broadway legend Carol Channing (left) along with choreographers Mandy Moore (right), Karen Willes, Natalie Willes, and producer Lee Hale. Photos by Michael Davis and Lee Cherry
What is always one of my favorite events of the spring–or any other season, for that matter– comes up Sunday, April 23, when the Professional Dancers Society presents its 30th Gypsy Awards luncheon from 11a.m. at The Beverly Hilton. This year’s edition promises to be one of the best ever for in the prime honor spot is none other than Carol Channing. The legendary stage and screen star will receive the “Gypsy Award.” The timing is perfect as a new Broadway revival of Carol’s classic Hello Dolly with Bette Midler has just opened on the “Great White Way.” In making the announcement, PDS’s President Mitzi Gaynor and Board Chairman Joni Berry said that choreographers Mandy Moore, Karen Willes and Natalie Willes will receive the “Choreography Awards” and longtime PDS Producer Lee Hale is to be presented with a special “Dance Legacy Award.” “Carol Channing is a national treasure,” said Joni Berry, who also chairs the event. “Mandy Moore has taken the dance world by storm on such shows as So You Think You Can Dance, Glee, and American Idol while our three other honorees Karen, Natalie, and Lee have been longtime supporters and invaluable friends of the society. “Carol made the character Dolly Levi internationally famous and won three Tony Awards while she was at it,” continued Berry. “And all that acclaim just followed up her incredible performance as Lorelei in Gentleman Prefer Blondes, not to mention the film Thoroughly Modern Millie.” The non-profit Professional Dancers Society is an affiliate of The Actors Fund of America. It was formed to serve the professional dancer, active and inactive, achieving such long-needed goals as low income housing, retirement and nursing facilities for dancers on both coasts. Previous Gypsy Award winners include Carol Burnett, Rita Moreno, Ben Vereen, Dick Van Dyke, Angela Lansbury, Carl Reiner, Ann-Margret, Florence Henderson, Mary Tyler Moore, Chita Rivera, Julie Andrews, Leslie Caron, Carol Lawrence and last year’s honoree, Paula Abdul. For more information about the Gypsy Awards luncheon including tickets or ads in the souvenir booklet, visit www.professionaldancerssociety.org or call 310-278-5222. ******
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Oncologist Steven J. O’Day, MD, was honored with “The Duke Special Service Award” and actor, producer and screenwriter Vince Vaughn the “True Grit Humanitarian Award” at the 32nd Odyssey Ball in The Beverly Wilshire. Titled “The Best is Yet to Come,” the casino-themed fundraiser benefitted the John Wayne Cancer Institute at Providence Saint John’s Health Center. After opening with 90 minutes of casino games in the foyer, the 500+ guests were treated to a performance by harmony quartet The Moonrays, before turning the stage over to emcee Bobby Herbeck, creator of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles phenomenon. JWCI Auxiliary President Anita Swift (granddaughter of John Wayne) saluted the late Dr. Donald Morton and two of his patients, Sandy Cohen and Noreen Nelson, as the driving forces behind what has grown into an 800member organization. She then introduced her uncle Patrick Wayne, JWCI board chair, who thanked the audience for its support of the institute’s clinical and translational research. “We can’t fail with you by our side and will not rest until cancer is history,” he said. Daniel F. Kelly and Michael States celebrated the accomplishments of Dr. O’Day, who knew early on how vital the psychological and emotional support for cancer sufferers and their families was to comprehensive patient care. Producer Nic Pizzolatto did the honors for Vince Vaughn, saluting his philanthropic work for veterans’ causes and the Special Olympics.. The event, co-chaired by Shirley Lipstone and Martha Harper, raised more than $700,000 including a $100,000 donation from Dr. Miriam and Sheldon Adelson in memory of Dr. Morton and a $50,000 donation from Ruth Weil. The fun evening closed with dancing to the Tony Galla band. ****** And speaking of Ruth Weil, she and her late husband, Martin, will be saluted with the “Wellness Award” at the Cancer Support Community L.A./Benjamin Center’s Gilda Award Gala, on Friday, May 12, at the InterContinental in Century City. Co-honoree is Dr. Deane Wolcott, who receives the “Harold H. Benjamin Innovation Award.” Comedian Sandra Valls will hothe Ruth Weil Dr. Deane Wolcott event, named for Gilda Radner. Since Martin’s passing in 1996, Ruth has dedicated herself to raise funds and awareness for cancer research as an active board member of the John Wayne Cancer Institute and Cancer Oncology Research Institute. Dr. Wolcott is a renowned psychiatrist and expert on psychosocial support services in oncology and palliative care. He has spent the last 38 years working with cancer patients, family members, and caregivers in numerous hospitals, including Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Tickets to the gala are $300. For more information, call Jen Cook at 310-314-2589 or visit www.cancersupportcommunitybenjamincenter.org.
Anyone spending even a small amount of time in the Coachella Valley knows that it’s not just mountains which surround us–we are also surrounded by an abundance of art, thanks largely to the Palm Springs Art Museum, the largest cultural institution in the Desert. Located in downtown Palm Springs with a second satellite campus nearby and another in Palm Desert, the museum has grown impressively since its 1938 founding with a world-class collection of works by Chagall, Picasso, Warhol, Lichtenstein, Calder, Adams and Moore. Spread out over more than 150,000 square-feet, the museum boasts major collections of modern and contemporary art, glass, photography, structure, and design along with Native American and Western art. The museum’s main campus also features two outdoor sculpture gardens, a café featuring American and Continental cuisine, as well as a museum store that includes one-of-a-kind crafts and art-related merchandise. It is open Tuesday through Sunday and features free admission every Thursday evening from 4-6 p.m. and every other Sunday of every month. Each year, the museum presents a colorfully themed fundraiser that is one of the top three black-tie attractions of the Desert’s social season. This year’s gala, flawlessly co-chaired by Angie Gerber and Diane Rubin, was entitled “Embracing the Abstract.” Honoree was prolific fashion designer Trina Turk (pictured with her husband Jonathan “Mr. Turk” Skow), who was recognized for her advocacy and support of the Edwards Harris Pavilion at the Palm Springs Art M u s e u m ’s A rch i t e c t u r e and Design Center. Guests arrived through one of the sculpture gardens for cocktails and hors d’oeuvres where they intermingled with a group of fully painted body models. There was even space on a partially unfinished model on which attendees apply their own artistic talents. They were then ushered into the adjacent Annenberg Theater for a spell-binding, hard-to-define performance by Enra, a Japanese ensemble combining elements of dance, technology and music, all in stunning synchronization. After that live performance, it was into the museum’s foyer for a delicious, white table-clothed dinner. To play a part in the museum’s growth, or just to stop by for a visit, more information is at 760-322-4800. ****** It may still be spring, but the Renova Rink at the River in Rancho Mirage has just announced that it will bring back outdoor ice skating this year. In its inaugural season last fall, some 10,000 people of all ages, came out to defy gravity and balance themselves on two, thin steel blades.