Rosewood Miramar’s Holiday Spectacular

By Richard Mineards   |   December 5, 2019
Santa's hostesses are Mereca Galicia, Tamara Razic, Sachiko Lamen, Mikayla Quinlyn, and Llyna Nguyen (photo by Priscilla)

Rosewood Miramar Hotel owner Rick Caruso sure knows how to throw one helluva party!

The billionaire mall magnate pulled out all the stops to turn his luxury property into a winter wonderland with his inaugural lighting of the ritzy hostelry’s 60-foot white fir tree on the Great Lawn, which had been trucked in from Mt. Shasta in Northern California, featuring 7,000 sparkling lights and an assortment of graceful boughs decked with 6,000 ornaments.

Rosewood Miramar’s attendant Clare Miller with Charlie, Lexi, Jane, and dad Bill Mack (photo by Priscilla)
Creating Christmas art are Cole, Ella, dad Brent Sharpton, Avery, mom Tracey, and Kevin (photo by Priscilla)

Only trees that are 80 years old and near the end of their life are cut down, with ten new firs planted in its place.

The event was an extraordinary Yuletide extravaganza hosted by Spectrum News 1 anchors Giselle Fernandez, an ex-colleague from my days on the KTLA-TV morning news, Lisa McRee, another contact from when I was commentator on ABC’s World News Now, and Melvin Robert.

American Idol alum Pia Toscano sang the National Anthem followed by a duet with the Manor Bar’s resident soul artist Brandon Wattz.

Headlining the night was singer-songwriter Nate Ruess, whose solo studio album Grand Romantic debuted at the top of the charts, with the dynamic gospel-inspired Jason McGee and The Choir, bedecked in glistening white robes, singing the 1980 Kool and The Gang hit Celebration.

Revelers at the Rosewood Miramar enjoying the tree lighting festivities (photo by Priscilla)
F) Melvin Robert, Santa, Giselle Fernandez, Rick Caruso, Nate Ruess, Jon Hamm, and Brandon Wattz at the inaugural tree lighting celebration (photo by Priscilla)

As real snow fell, youngsters had great fun with face painting and candy cane stalls, and a very realistic Santa Claus arrived in the hotel’s candy pink Fiat 600, with the license plate JOLLY01, to turn on the lights, while singers dressed in Dickensian and red and white furred costumes sang around the boffo bash.

Earlier Rick, who was then jetting off for a vacation in Hawaii, hosted a champagne fueled VIP reception in The Study, next to the Manor Bar. “I always love this time of year,” he told me.

Among the 1,800 guests enjoying the big moment were Oscar winner Kevin Costner, actor Jon Hamm, Das Williams, Nina Terzian, Richard and Annette Caleel, Bill and Sandi Nicholson, Wayne and Sharol Siemens, Jeff and Hollye Jacobs, Doug and Marni Margerum, Hal and Haley Conklin, and Jeff and Margo Barbakow.

A tree-mendous night.

G) Montecitans captured among the hundreds of guests at the Rosewood’s festive occasion (photo by Priscilla)
The “YuleTones” are Jesse Rhodus, Kara Broouelette, Angel Levine, and James McGrath (photo by Priscilla)
Rosewood Miramar’s 60-foot-tall Christmas tree (photo by Priscilla)
 

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