Not All Fire Extinguished at the Bowl

Candelabra at the Hollywood Bowl are fire marshal-banished. But the gleam was there Tuesday evening at the official opening of the Bowl’s 66th season. Votive candles in shiny new crystal and glass containers illuminated the atmosphere. Gelson’s, as well as Thrifty’s, must have been cleaned out for this must trend.

The candles weren’t the only sparkle aplenty, however. Everyone seemed to be having a wonderful time--picnicking, milling, chatting, even stopping by the Hollywood Bowl Museum to see the continuously-screened film on the history of Daisy Dell (the original name of the Bowl’s location).

The evening was the balmiest, perfect for the all-Beethoven concert, though, by the finale of the Seventh Symphony, the spirited Allegro con brio movement was a necessity to warm the soul--so much nicer than a shawl.

Now, there are three dozen ways to do the Bowl but they split, basically, into equal halves--fancy and plain (but chic). The closest anyone came to fancy were the groups that picnicked around candles under etched-glass hurricane lamps. That passed the fire marshal. The closest anyone came to plain chic were Claire and Maurice Segal, who Bowled in in comfy sweaters and jeans.

In between were more variations than a Bach fugue. Richard and Susie Miller and Nancy and David Craig tossed a pretty blue Madeira-embroidered linen cloth on the table in their box. “These old tea cloths are perfect for the Bowl,” Mrs. Miller said. Indeed, their table with the dessert course-- gambozola cheese with sliced apples and green and red grapes--looked perfect for House and Garden.

In a center box for six, David and Norma McIntyre and Bob and Janice Carpenter had luxury space, and were finishing up on peaches and nectarines in Cointreau and a coterie of miniature liqueurs in airline bottles. “Jannie had to fly 14,000 miles to collect the liqueurs for tonight,” Carpenter quipped. In the box behind them Biddy and Tony Liebig joined Carlotta and Rusty Keeley, polishing off two kinds of caviar. And, an elbow away, John Welborne hosted a happy group including Leslie Forbes, Carl and Betsy Anderson and Stephanie and Peter Neville. Welborne brought his violin case as a picnic hamper, hollowed out with exact space for two bottles of 1970 Bordeaux. The 1971 Cuvee William Deutz champagne was presented without a viola case, however.

On the first tier of the Garden Boxes Noelle and William Siart (he’s president of First Interstate) entertained Tom (president of Newhall Land) and Colleen Lee on black and white striped denim mats with Gelson’s pick-up picnic of lemon chicken, pasta primavera, herb salad, Dijon vegetables. Close by, Ernest Fleischmann, the Philharmonic’s executive director, entertained friends including Lukas Foss and his artist-wife, Cornelia.

Gov. George and Gloria Deukmejian were in the center of activities, joining William and Anne Erwin and Glennon and Jeanne Cahill. Le Marmiton of Santa Monica prepared their boxed suppers with poached salmon, cucumbers and sour cream, assorted fruit tarts. The Erwins provided the Pouilly Fuisse 1985.

After their stint in Washington, Carol and Maurice Inman were in town, dining with friends Nick and Patty Weber. And Lester and Carolbeth Korn were celebrating their good news with close chums Michael and Linda Curb. Les Korn’s appointment to UNESCO has been confirmed. He’s the official Ambassador of the United States and representative of the U.S. to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, and he’ll be sworn in Wednesday at the State Department in Washington. They’ve already booked an apartment in New York City.

Nestling into the new Bowl directors’ chairs--white metal, green canvas and brown wooden arm rests--were Nancy Englander and Harold Williams, Dee and Richard Sherwood and Michael and EdinaWeinstein. Nancy, who was responsible for program planning and analysis for the Getty Trust in its formative years, and Harold, president of the trust, will be married Sunday. They’ll honeymoon in British Columbia.

DeAnne and Byron Hayes were extolling the evening earlier at the Friends of the Hollywood Bowl preview concert at the Bowl. Purpose of the new group, currently under the auspices of the Hollywood Bowl Volunteers, is to broaden the base of support for the Bowl. Explained Mrs. Hayes, “You can join the county museum of art, MOCA or the Zoo Association, and you can join lots of support groups for the Philharmonic if you want to become involved in volunteer activities, but there really was no Bowl membership group.” This one at $35 a membership will entitle holders to priority seating, rehearsals and additional perks. Among Friends in the first-nighter crowd were Alan (he’s also secretary of the Los Angeles Philharmonic) and Nancy Wayte and Allen and Debbie Grossman.

There’s always a lagniappe for first-nighters. Tuesday Hollywood Bowl Volunteers chairman Vera Panosian, arriving with her husband, Howard, laden with picnic hampers, ordered up big Hollywood Bowl buttons for the crowd of 14,012.

In tribute to the late Olive Behrendt, who died May 28 during her annual sojourn to Venice, Italy, the program devoted a page to the ardent Bowl and Philharmonic supporter. Mrs. Behrendt was vice chairman of the Philharmonic board at her death and had been president and chairman. Her brother, Milton Ponitz and his wife Jessie (administrative assistant to Walter Mirisch for 30 years), attended with their friends Nancy and David Craig.