Tag archives: Ellen

Two of a Kind
By Richard Mineards   |   June 7, 2018

Barbara Burger and Susan Aberle have been elected to Opera Santa Barbara’s board of directors. “Both Barbara and Susan have many years of service to the community and will be a great asset to our organization,” says Kostis Protopapas, artistic and general director. Barbara has a lengthy career in public relations and marketing primarily in […]

Les is More
By Richard Mineards   |   May 31, 2018

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had a major impact on Janet Adderley’s Santa Barbara Youth Ensemble Theatre’s production of Les Misérables at the Lobero last week. Max Corden, 7, was due to play the pivotal role of Gavroche, the young street urchin shot on the barricades, but at the last minute his […]

Check Mate
By Richard Mineards   |   May 31, 2018

Montecito mudslide survivors Kim Cantin and her 14-year-old daughter, Lauren, were guests on fellow resident Ellen DeGeneres‘s TV talk show and presented with a check for $20,000, courtesy of Walmart, to help rebuild their lives. Both were rescued after their home was demolished by the devastating slides in January, and Lauren’s rescue was seen around […]

Grill Thrill
By Richard Mineards   |   March 22, 2018

To the Bluewater Grill, the buzzing new seafood eatery just a tiara’s toss from Stearns Wharf. The restaurant, formerly Rusty’s Pizza Lighthouse and the Castagnola Lobster House, has been in business for 21 years after being established in Newport Beach by partners Rick Staunton and Jim Ulcickas, and now has branches in Redondo Beach, Coronado, […]

Kerri & Camilla at Clarence
By Richard Mineards   |   February 15, 2018

Santa Barbara resident Kerri Murray, president of ShelterBox USA, had lunch with Camilla, the duchess of Cornwall, at her London home, Clarence House, last week. It was the second time the tony twosome had met, given the wife of Prince Charles also visited the charity’s new British HQ and visitors center in Truro, Cornwall, last […]

Puppet Master
By Richard Mineards   |   February 8, 2018

KEYT senior reporter John Palminteri is pulling a few strings! Puppet Palooza Central threw a Puppets in Paseo event honoring the ubiquitous broadcaster and the ABC affiliate’s industrious team for their coverage of the Thomas Fire and the destructive and deadly aftermath. A Palminteri puppet was unveiled, complete with John’s signature moustache, that performed live […]

Get a Load of This
By Richard Mineards   |   February 1, 2018

After the massive cleanup following the devastating Montecito mudslides, where to dump it? More than 20,000 dump truck loads – in excess of seven million pounds – of muck have been taken to the Ventura County Fairgrounds, where it is being stored temporarily. But with the totals increasing daily, officials face a daunting task. One […]

Youth Served with $500K
By Richard Mineards   |   January 25, 2018

It was child’s play when Kids Helping Kids, the 10-year-old organization launched by students at San Marcos High School, raised a record $501,251 to help local children in need with two sold-out concerts at the Granada. The group, headed by economics teacher James DeVries, has raised more than $2.5 million since it started. Singer-songwriter Andy […]

Generous DeGeneres
By Richard Mineards   |   January 18, 2018

Former Oscars emcee and TV talker Ellen DeGeneres put the generous in her name when she hosted local firefighters to a bash at her Montecito home, Villa di Lemma, to thank them for their help during the Thomas Fire. Ten members of Strike Team 2040A from various departments in Contra Costa County and three fire […]

A Win-Winn Situation
By Richard Mineards   |   December 21, 2017

One of the great joys of Yuletide is the Christmas bash thrown by interior designers Peter Kavoian and Ray Winn, who also scribes for this illustrious organ, at their magnificent Birnam Wood manse. The stunning residence – formerly the home of a member the DuPont family who lived to the ripe old age of 107 […]

Think Pink
By Richard Mineards   |   December 14, 2017

The Arlington Theatre was packed for the much-awaited return concert by Pink Martini, the Portland, Oregon, musicians making their eighth appearance here, all eight of which I have been lucky enough to see. The sold-out show, part of the popular UCSB Arts & Lectures series, featured Harvard graduate China Forbes on vocals singing a wide […]

Musical Youth
By Richard Mineards   |   December 7, 2017

It was all too beastly for words when the Santa Barbara Symphony, under guest conductor Lara Webber, held its second annual family concert Carnival of the Animals at the Granada. With tickets a mere $10, the 1,500-seat venue was packed with parents and children as the ubiquitous Andrew Firestone hosted and narrated the show with […]

It’s Magic
By Richard Mineards   |   November 16, 2017

With Magic Castle maestro Milt Larsen and his costume designer wife, Arlene, about to open their Montecito branch of the iconic Hollywood venue on the site of the former eatery, Cafe del Sol, impressive blue-and-gold invitations for charter memberships have been landing in mailboxes around our rarefied enclave. The Magic Castle Cabaret, as the new […]