Jolly Bunch Applauds ‘Dreamcoat’

Marcia Hobbs’ garage-door control shorted in the rain and the door bounced on her new car. Sunset Boulevard was “a nightmare” of traffic. There was only an hour and fifteen minutes for a hosted bar and buffet.

In spite of such hitches, the brave under their bumbershoots were a jolly bunch for the preview of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” at the Pantages Theatre last weekend.

The CHIPS (Colleagues Helpers in Philanthropic Service) paid from $250 to $1,000 for tickets and raised nearly $110,000 to support dysfunctional families confronting child abuse and needing care and counseling at the Children’s Institute International.

President Karlene Garber and co-chairs Eva Peterson and Susana Funster stood above the mezzanine crowd--on the velvet banquettes in their high heels--to say thanks into a megaphone to donors (especially generous were Karlene’s parents, Carlton and Keleen Beal, and Carla Kirkeby).

Of the thanks, “Does that mean you?” quizzed young Hayley Bloomingdale, 7, of her mother, Justine. Lots of others brought their offspring. Jeff and Eva Peterson were with Ashley, 10, and Nicholas, 6. Susana Funster’s daughter Francesca, 10, sparkled in taffeta and sequins: “I picked it out myself,” she announced.

After quick pasta and salad, a pretty crowd including Helen Maher and her daughter Helen ambled to their seats in the theater. Right up front were Bobbie and Jack Foreman; Kim Bell and his wife, Lisa, with her mother, Betsy Bloomingdale, between them; Lyn Vandegrift and Steven Wood, and Earle and Marion Jorgensen with Betty and Bill Wilson, who had earlier dined at Musso & Frank’s.

SUPERLATIVES: Pianist Andre Watts donated his talents to Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Opus 18, with the American Youth Symphony Sunday evening. A full house marveled at the performance as well as the orchestra’s Richard Strauss and Tchaikovsky. The evening produced more than $175,000 for the orchestra.

Proud chairwoman Norma Brecher told the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion crowd: “This is an evening of superlatives. Andre Watts is the major American-born pianist in the world. And CBS’ ‘Sunday Morning’ called our orchestra the best youth symphony in the country.” Maestro Mehli Mehta’s ears must have been burning backstage.

Some 700 diners cheered later when he and Watts arrived at the post-concert dinner, where Brecher presented Watts with a Tiffany clock. Laughed Watts, “But, I wasn’t late .”

In the crowd: Brecher’s husband, Irving (he wrote the script for “Meet Me in St. Louis”), Lorraine and Arthur Miller, Jane and Larry Ulman and Randol Schoenberg.

The orchestra will perform in July at the Salerno Music Festival in Italy, where it will become not only the first youth symphony to appear at the festival but also the first American orchestra to accept the honor.

ALL HEART: Nearly 600 were all heart last weekend for the American Heart Assn.’s 16th annual Heart Ball at the Regent Beverly Wilshire.

Chairwoman Linda Hilton (granddaughter of the late hotelier Conrad Hilton) was all heart at bringing in major auction items like vacations at the Stein Eriksen Ski Lodge at Park City, Utah, the Hotel Conrad in Dublin and the Conrad Hotel on Australia’s Gold Coast.

Davis Gaines, L.A.’s current Phantom of the Opera, was all heart, performing “Phantom” and Broadway love lyrics. And West Coast Music was all heart, beating out some strong rhythms with Motown Singers to exercise dancers till nearly midnight.

Heart disease is the nation’s No. 1 killer, claiming a life every 34 seconds. The night’s profits--about $233,000--will go to the association’s programs.

Among supporters: dinner co-chairs John Cardis of Deloitte and Touche and Sam Iacobellis (he was called off to Washington and missed the ball) of Rockwell International; John Argue; Dr. Allan Edmiston, president of the Greater Los Angeles Affiliate, who came with his daughter Victoria; Los Angeles AHA chairman Richard and Laura Linsday of Camarillo, and Saks Fifth Avenue’s Edward Bodde.

CHEVALIERS: Do you ever wonder which wines groups such as the Confrerie des Chevaliers du Tastevin select for their annual gourmet white-tie gala?

At the Four Seasons last weekend, the dinner committee--Dr. Donald E. Vinson, James P. Birdwell Jr. and James G. Craig Jr.--included a Chablis Les Florets 1986, Puligny-Montrachet Clavoillon 1982, Volnay Clos des Chenes 1982 and a Clos de la Roche 1986.

A special scroll was bestowed upon John H. Hadley, Delegue General Honoraire , for his years of service. New Les Candidates introduced: William L. Horton, Ray T. McCullough, Richard K. Mastain, Robert L. Mc Vicar, Peter C. Maurer and David M. Ruprecht.

PLAUDITS: Dr. Howard P. House, founder-chairman emeritus of House Ear Institute, will become the institute’s Humanitarian of the Year March 28 at the Beverly Hilton.

KUDOS: To Jo and Tommy Lasorda, honored at an “old fashioned Italian family dinner” (the Lasorda recipe pasta sauce flowed) at the Beverly Hilton to benefit the Tommy Lasorda Jr. Memorial Recreational Facility . . . To the Rt. Rev. Frederick H. Borsch, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, who was among those honored at the Neighborhood Youth Assn. service awards dinner at the Riviera Country Club . . . .

To David Lieber, retiring president of the University of Judaism, and to Dr. Robert Wexler, who will be installed president Sunday . . . To Daniel L. Hernandez, executive director for Hollenbeck Youth Center, who received the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation Globe and Anchor award before an SRO crowd at the Music Center . . . To Joel Bergenfeld, CEO of Century City Hospital, feted at a black-tie dinner at the Century Plaza benefiting the Magic Johnson Foundation.