Come as you are, come incognito, however you wish! This year’s Masquerade Ball, the West County Area Guild’s annual FUNdraiser, will be on Thursday, March 29 starting at 5:30 pm in Irvine’s historic Duck Club.
Dress as yourself, dress as someone you’d like to be or someone you admire – your favorite crooner (Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand), historical figure (Sir Winston Churchill), royalty. Everyone will be encouraged to participate in the Best Costume Contest and to warm up their voices to sing their favorite songs in the Karaoke Contest.
Enjoy some friendly competition during a table-to-table Trivia Contest. Wine, beer, and soft drinks are also included in the event’s price, $65 each.
The merriment and camaraderie will help The Guilds raise funds that will support the Center’s artistic programming of Broadway Shows, international dance companies, music of all genres, family shows and special events; education programs that bring the arts to more than 360,000 students and families each year; and community engagement programs that help the Center to leverage the arts in new and innovative ways that serve all of Orange County’s many diverse communities.
The West County Area Guild chapters of The Guilds of Segerstrom Center for the Arts – Carmen, Center Stage and Stage Door – have a whirlwind evening of fun and frivolity planned for your enjoyment! In addition to the Best Costume and Karaoke Contests, well-known magician Joyce Basch will circulate among our guests plying her entertaining and mesmerizing sleight-of-hand combined with hilarious, fast-paced humor. Joyce is a popular entertainer at the prestigious Magic Castle, performs at local clubs, restaurants, corporate events, and private parties for including a party for Steven Spielberg. Internationally, she has performed on all seven continents, in places as diverse as Bali, The Virgin Islands, and even for penguins at the South Pole, Antarctica.
Food will be All-American, with Rico’s Catering designing a menu of tantalizing, delectable and palate-pleasing delights. Karaoke King Roy Southerland is the talented singer and consummate entertainer who will host our Karaoke Contest. Roy was featured on last year’s Catalina Flyer during the Christmas Boat Parade and the July 4 Independence Day celebrations at the Verizon Amphitheater. His energetic brand of karaoke hosting will add an exciting element to this year’s Masquerade Ball.
Of course, there will be a silent auction and raffle. Our committee is hard at work uncovering unique treasures and desirable experiences to tempt you. Last year, the West County Area Guilds FUNdraiser raised more than $6,000 in support of Segerstrom Center’s artistic, community engagement and education programs.
This year’s event is co-chaired by Louise Costa and West Area Guild Chairman Carol Strauss with committee members Delphi Ballinger, Ed Cady, Gail and Jim Daniels, Diana Hardy, Susan Kinkade, Marty Olds, Margaret Ann Vincent and Hallie Whelen.
Call Dianne Howe, Director of Support Groups, 714-556-2122, ext. 4224 for tickets or more information.
The Guilds of the Center
The Guilds of Segerstrom Center for the Arts is one of the largest and most prestigious support groups for a non-profit organization in Orange County. The Guilds, which is comprised of 19 chapters and nearly 1,000 members, is respected and admired for its contributions to Segerstrom Center for the Arts and is emulated by many other arts organizations around the country. Guilds members are Center ambassadors, spreading the word about the Center among their friends and neighbors and encouraging them to enjoy and use this great community resource.
The Guilds raises funds for the Center, Orange County’s largest non-profit arts organization. Since The Guilds was founded, members have contributed more than $16 million dollars in support of the Center. Close to the heart of The Guilds is the Center’s community engagement and education programs that reach hundreds of thousands of young people, families and educators each year with performances and arts-in-education programs at the Center, on school campuses and at many locations throughout Southern California, including Children’s Hospital of Orange County, Camp Pendleton, Alzheimer’s Orange County, and schools for children with disabilities.
The Guilds sponsors the Children at the Center initiative, which provides volunteers who assist the Center’s Community Engagement and Education departments with bus-ins, the Family Series and other special events attended by young people. During the holiday season, The Guilds also holds its Toy Drive in conjunction with the U.S. Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots®, which benefits deserving but less fortunate Orange County children.
Members of The Guilds know that the arts can change lives, uplift and inspire, and represent and unite the community. Since opening in 1986, the Center has achieved national and international acclaim for the exceptional range and quality of its presentations and service to the community, and members of The Guilds are proud to be part of the Segerstrom Center for the Arts family.
Segerstrom Center for the Arts is an acclaimed arts institution as well as a beautiful multi-disciplinary cultural campus. It is committed to supporting artistic excellence, offering unsurpassed experiences and to engaging the entire community in new and exciting ways through the unique power of live performance and a diverse array of inspiring arts-based education and community engagement programs.
Previously called the Orange County Performing Arts Center, Segerstrom Center is Orange County’s largest non-profit arts organization. In addition to its six performance venues, Segerstrom Center is also home to the American Ballet Theatre William J. Gillespie School.
The Center presents a broad range of programming for audiences of all ages, including international ballet and dance, national tours of top Broadway shows, jazz and cabaret, contemporary artists, classical music performed by renowned chamber orchestras and ensembles, family-friendly programming, free performances open to the public from outdoor movie screenings to dancing on the plaza and many other special events.
Segerstrom Center is a leader among the nation’s performing arts centers for providing education programs designed to inspire young people through the arts. The Center’s programs reach hundreds of thousands of students each year in five Southern California counties. Community engagement programs developed through the Center for Dance and Innovation and Center Without Boundaries also connect the Center more comprehensively with Orange County’s many diverse communities. The CDI supports flagship artistic programming and a wide range of projects that celebrate innovation, nurture creativity and engage audiences of the future. It is home to the ABT Gillespie School and the School of Dance and Music for Children with Disabilities. The Center Without Boundaries develops partnerships with non-cultural organizations to help them in their own efforts to respond the ever-changing needs of the community.
Carmen, Center Stage and Stage Door Chapters of The Guilds
provide ongoing support of Segerstrom Center for the Arts
and its many community and education programs.
