On a personal note, I remember former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who has moved to more heavenly pastures at the grand old age of 100. We met through a good friend Pat Buckley, wife of political pundit and National Review founder Bill Buckley, and I attended a few parties at his magnificent home with […]
The Veterans Memorial Building, a tiara’s toss from Stearns Wharf, was absolutely heaving when 600 needy guests converged on the historic locale for the 4th annual Thanksgiving lunch organized by Adam’s Angels, founded by realtor Adam McKaig. More than 350 pounds of turkey bought at Shalhoob’s, with the PATH Homeless Shelter donating its kitchen to […]
It was a splendid kickoff for Yuletide when Montecito Bank & Trust hosted its 21st annual Community Dividends lunch at the Hilton, which distributed $1.1 million among nearly 200 local nonprofits. More than 280 guests turned out for the seasonal meal in the oceanside hostelry’s tented rotunda for the joyous occasion – which since its […]
Montecito sailmaker Tim Kirshtner, who also ran a business he dubbed “The Beach Doctor Beach Cleaning Service,” has taken his love of the ocean a step further as he notices more and more litter, particularly the detritus of doggie dinners past. Tim, 47, has been recognized for his good deeds, including the Butterfly Beach Association, […]
The Music Academy staged its third and final performance of its Mariposa series at Hahn Hall with two former alumnae, Frank Huang, concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic, who attended the Miraflores campus in 1998, and Natasha Kislenko, who was at the academy in 2001 and has also served as a teaching artist since 2004. […]
As if starring in the Fox Texan firefighting drama 9-1-1: Lone Star for four seasons isn’t enough, Montecito actor Rob Lowe is set to host a new game show, The Floor, in the New Year. The ultimate trivia conquest quiz show, which Lowe, 59, will helm and produce, is described as “a spectacular battle of […]
Dynamic duo Rick Oshay and Teresa Kuskey, in collaboration with the Santa Barbara Symphony, hosted Joy, a private concert with the Grammy Award and Emmy-winning trio Time for Three in the historic Presidio Chapel, after dinner for more than 100 guests in the tented front courtyard. The talented triumvirate – violinists Nicolas Kendall and Charles […]
Lotusland, the 37-acre botanical paradise that is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, received a Happy Birthday gift from Mayor Randy Rowse, when he presented board members of the historic estate with a colorfully inscribed vellum proclamation on behalf of our Eden by the Beach. The tony twosome, Laura Bridley and Jeanne Anderson, joined the […]
There was a lot of sole searching going on when Bob and Holly Murphy, co-owners of Coast 2 Coast Collection in La Arcada, hosted a “jock hop” at La Cumbre Club to raise funds for the men’s baseball and basketball teams at UCSB. Forty-five items of sports memorabilia were up for grabs in the sports […]
British pianist Stephen Hough, making his fifth appearance with the Community Arts Music Association, mesmerized in a Masterseries concert at the Lobero. Hough, 61, who was recently knighted by King Charles, received a Master’s Degree at the Juilliard School in New York, was clearly at the top of his game with his Yamaha grand piano […]
Simon Kerry, great nephew of the late visionary Pearl Chase, has been busy publicizing his book Miss Chase: Santa Barbara’s Trailblazer in our rarefied enclave. Simon, 53, educated at Eton College, as were princes William and Harry, and Cambridge University, also holds the title of 11th Earl of Kerry, and in due course will become […]
Members and special guests of Montecito Bank & Trust’s MClub, on a cultural tour of Japan, were treated to a rare invitation to visit and partake in a tea ceremony with Kobori Sojitsu, the 13th Grand Master of the Enshu Sado School in Tokyo. The invitation, not normally available to the public, was made possible […]
The Music Academy’s Hahn Hall was socially gridlocked when the ILLUMINATE Film Festival, a leading event for evolutionary cinema, celebrated its 10th anniversary and move to Santa Barbara from Sedona, Arizona. The fun fest included an exclusive screening of The Monk and the Gun, a charming and provocative feature film set in Bhutan in 2006, […]
Christmas got off to an early start at the venerable Santa Barbara Club with the launch, for the second year, of its holiday boutique. The event was founded by general manager Linda Spann with her choosing the 18 vendors showing their wares to members of the club, founded in 1892. “It’s a great way to […]
Yellowstone star Cole Hauser has a distinct Santa Barbara connection and has just become the face of Lucky Brand’s holiday collection. Hauser, 48, recounts his “idyllic” upbringing in our Eden by the Beach with his film producer mother Cass Warner. Hauser, who has co-starred with Carpinteria actor Kevin Costner on the CBS series for five […]
Bubbly show woman and former Broadway actress Janet Adderley’s students from four of her five school’s locations – Santa Barbara, Pacific Palisades, Austin, and New Orleans – were front and center when local rock icon Kenny Loggins, 75, performed the sold-out final show of his “This Is It!” tour at the 4,500-seat Santa Barbara Bowl. […]
Pulitzer Prize nominee, poet, and philosopher Noah benShea is now in the movie business! The Montecito resident – who was formerly assistant dean of students at UCLA at the age of 22 – has written a number of books using the character Jacob the Baker, including Gentle Wisdom for a Complicated World, which has been […]
UCSB Arts & Lectures was on a roll at the Granada last week with two major productions within 48 hours. Kicking off the impressive program was Japanese violinist Midori and the Festival Strings Lucerne, under artistic director Daniel Dodds. Founded in 1956, the Swiss company is now considered one of the world’s most distinguished chamber […]
Glitz, glamour, and grandeur reigned when the Junior League of Santa Barbara, which marks its centennial next year, hosted its 13th annual gala at the Rosewood Miramar, with 170 guests raising around $50,000. The boffo bash, chaired by Hilary Rost and co-chaired by Rachel Brown and Ally Meier, kicked off with a VIP reception on […]
The Family Service Agency of Santa Barbara County got into quite a pickle at the Montecito Club at the weekend. The popular charity, founded in 1899, hosted its inaugural pickleball tournament with 68 players organized by local realtor Natalie Collins-Smith, raising $20,000 for senior service programs and youth mental health with sponsorship from Farmers & […]
New York Philharmonic principal clarinet Anthony McGill and Taiwanese pianist Gloria Chien were quite the dynamic duo when they performed in the second concert of the Mariposa series at the Music Academy’s Hahn Hall. The tony twosome performed works by Telemann, Jessie Montgomery, Brahms, Teng Yu-hsien, Lee, and Von Weber for the sold-out audience. McGill […]
A tsunami of supporters turned up at the FisHouse for a Heal the Ocean sunset soirée to thank donors for helping raise a most impressive record $350,000 from its fourth consecutive imaginary Silver Anniversary gala. “It’s the perfect kind of event,” enthused Hillary Hauser, president and executive director of the popular charity. “Very little overhead […]
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle paid a visit to Camp Pendleton, the U.S. Marines base near San Diego, ahead of Veterans Day. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex stopped by Operation Bigs, a mentoring program tailor-made for children of military families, according to the couple’s Archewell foundation. Meghan wore a $1,490 Carolina Herrera cardigan embroidered […]
Former TV talk-show host Ellen DeGeneres, who used to live near the Montecito botanical paradise Lotusland before selling the estate to Google honcho Eric Schmidt, has come to the 37-acre estate with 55 mature Koi for the Japanese Garden lake. Rebecca Anderson, executive director, tells me Robert Riskin of Riskin Partners Estate Group contacted the […]
What a difference a year makes! Last year, CALM at Heart’s lunch was only saved from deluging rain with the erection of a large tent preventing the gardens at Los Sueños, the Montecito home of international lawyer Robert Lieff, becoming a quagmire. This year, as Lieff has just put the George Washington Smith estate on […]
Kristin Chenoweth had one of the hottest concerts of her career at the Granada when the theater’s fire alarms went off three times during her highly entertaining, 90-minute show! Fortunately, they were all false alarms, allowing the 4’11” dynamo from Oklahoma – dressed in a silver pantsuit even more sparkling than her personality – to […]
Pomp, pageantry, and ceremonial reigned when the Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation hosted its 26th annual military gala at the U.S. flag festooned Elks Lodge in Goleta with 240 guests, many in uniform, helping contribute to military charities. Belgian philanthropist Pierre Claeyssens initiated the ball, now called the Veterans Day Gala, in 1996 as a way […]
An old friend, Jonathan Fox, who was artistic director of the Ensemble Theatre Company (ETC) for 17 years, has been honored for his sterling work at the New Vic. First District Supervisor Das Williams has proposed a resolution marking Jonathan’s many contributions to Santa Barbara’s art and culture. Under his supervision, ETC acquired and renovated […]
On a personal note, I mark the move to more heavenly pastures of Mary Conrad, widow of the late writer and artist Barnaby Conrad, at the age of 88. Born into a prominent family in Pasadena, she was an accomplished horsewoman and avid tennis player, enjoying the game for most of her long life. After […]
Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle joined Cameron Diaz and her husband, Benji Madden, and Avatar actress Zoe Saldana on a private plane from Santa Barbara to Las Vegas to watch one of local singer Katy Perry’s last concerts of her two-year residency at the Resorts World Theatre. They were joined in the venue’s VIP […]
Social gadabout Rick Oshay and his galpal Teresa Kuskey put the “fun” into Funk Zone when they threw a spooktacular Halloween bash with the gloriously camp and colorful La Boheme Dancers at the home of the Topa Topa Brewing Company and the Fox Wine Company. More than 170 guests, most of them creatively garbed, turned […]
The venerable Granada was chock-a-block when UCSB Arts & Lectures staged the new season’s second dance event Turn It Out with Tiler Peck & Friends, a delightful and innovative two-hour show. Award-winning New York City Ballet principal dancer Peck embraced the role of director for the colorful, energized performance running up the heat with an […]
It was definitely paws for thought at Hudson Grace, the charming vintage design shop in the Montecito Country Mart, when British author Georgina Montagu promoted her colorful 300-page coffee table tome Top Dogs: A British Love Affair, featuring boldface named owners and their beloved canines. One of the more notable is Camilla, wife of King […]
It was all two grand for words when the Music Academy launched the first of its Mariposa Series concerts at Hahn Hall with the extraordinary keyboard duo of Anderson and Roe with academy alum Elizabeth Joy Roe and Greg Anderson playing back-to-back Steinway pianos. Since forming their dynamic musical partnership in 2002 as students at […]
Uber party planner Merryl Brown hosted a garden party at her East Valley Road antebellum-style home for former international event producer John Daly’s 12-year-old Key Class, which mentors at-risk and other students in learning important life skills, including social etiquette. With a $120,000 annual budget, it has taught more than 10,000 students, mostly from the […]
To the Rockwood Woman’s Club for a Celebration of Life of the late Santa Barbara News-Press writer Marilyn McMahon, a former colleague and friend, who died in August aged 93, just two weeks before the historic daily, for which she’d written for half a century, declared bankruptcy. Jerry Roberts, former editor of the newspaper, noted […]
Montecito actress Gwyneth Paltrow is looking for a quiet life on the British coast, according to reports. If so, the Oscar winner will be following a whole host of celebrities, including Cate Blanchett, Jason Statham, Jamie Dornan, Stanley Tucci, and Jason Momoa who have snapped up properties in the picturesque southwestern county of Cornwall. While […]
Santa Barbara warbler Katy Perry celebrated turning 39 in grand style – showing off her pickleball skills against British actor fiancé Orlando Bloom at the inaugural Light Up the Court event for her Firework Foundation, which she founded in 2019 with her sister, Angela Lerche. Racketeers galore turned out at the Montecito Club for the […]
As it prepares to celebrate it 30th anniversary, State Street Ballet staged one of its biggest productions ever at the Granada with its premiere of the hauntingly beautiful two act production, Giselle. New artistic director Megan Philipp, who has taken over from retiring founder Rodney Gustafson, excelled – helming the two-hour show with Ryan Lenkey […]
Millinery madness took root at Montecito’s 37-acre botanical Eden Lotusland when it launched a new exhibition Madame’s Millinery Masterpieces: Hats Through History focusing on the wardrobe of the late owner, Polish opera singer Ganna Walska, who died in 1984 aged 96. The six-times-married diva was acquisitive with an impressive jewelry collection, a large selection of […]