Sondheim’s Putting It Together Opens Season at SCR
COSTA MESA, CA, September 18, 2009 – South Coast Repertory’s 2009-10 Season opened tonight with Stephen Sondheim’s Putting It Together on the Segerstrom Stage. The musical ‘review’ is underwritten by Dr. S.L. and Mrs. Betty Eu Huang/Huang Family Foundation and Haskell & White LLP.
In his curtain remarks, Producing Artistic Director David Emmes talked about the excitement generated by a Sondheim show. “Clearly SCR and Sondheim are a perfect fit, so it’s not surprising that he’s the most-produced song writer in our history, beginning with A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum way back in 1969. That show opened the season at our Second Step Theatre in a converted dime store on Newport Boulevard. Most recently, we opened the 2007-08 Season with Sunday in the Park with George, featuring Harry Groener, whom you will see tonight in Putting It Together.”
Board President Wylie Aitken, who joined Emmes and Artistic Director Martin Benson onstage, said that generous underwriting allowed SCR to pull out all the stops for the best possible production of Putting It Together. “And generous is just what our producers are,” he said before introducing S.L. and Betty Huang and David White and Rick Smetanka of Haskell & White. He added, “We are grateful to all of them for their support just not tonight but throughout many seasons; in fact, the Huangs and Haskell & White have underwritten a total of fifteen shows!”
Benson thanked the Segerstrom Stage’s Season Media Partner KOCE-TV, represented by Maria Hall-Brown, and production Media Partners KPCC 89.3 and Coast magazine and invited everyone to the Cast Party on Ela’s Terrace after the show.
Putting It Together’s sophisticated music and glamorous setting was re-created at the party which featured life-sized cutouts of sophisticated New Yorkers and Broadway show tunes played by DJ Henry Martinez. Adding to the urbane party look were black, silver and mirrored reflection balls and shimmering black and white linens topped with mirrored vases. First Nighters sipped the perfect drink for an elegant evening of Sondheim, a Champagne Cosmopolitan created with Korbel champagne (generously donated by Young’s Market) and mixed with cranberry, lime and triple sec.
Even the menu reflected a New York state of mind with tastes from all around Manhattan, including delectable treats like skyline spring rolls from Chinatown, lamb meatballs bouchee from Little Italy, Big Apple strudel and New York style cheesecake—all created by Mark’s Catering.
Among First Nighters and guests enjoying the evening’s festivities were Peter and Connie Spenuzza, Wylie and Bette Aitken, Ardelle St. George and Don Carnegie, Tom and Beth Phelps, Juan and Joan Basombrio, Linda Maggard, Linda Lund, Sebby Alexandra, Jeffrey Milman, Dr. Bruce Dubin, George and Micki Rach, Floyd and Nancy Brown, Judi Warren, Merdad and Mitra Parsa, Robert Palmer and Deb Vance, Bob and Mimi Holcombe, Howard and Dede Brink, Richard Bonadio and Sharon Jones, Wade and Rosana Hopper, Craig and Sasha Taggert, Carol and Mike Bertolino, Mandi Dossin, Sherrie Larsen and Pauline Dossin
