Press from the event:
Bonnie Carroll's Life Bites Epicurean Events
THE PEARL OF HAVANA
A Dream Fantasy Fundraiser
"The Pearl of HavanaFrom the red carpet arrival to the finale at the Bella Vista Ranch on the Nesbitt Estate and Polo Field, the evening dedicated to raising charity dollars ... was a duplication of an elegant 1940s Cuban extravaganza, complete with music by the Sultans of Mambo, a delightful ‘Babalu’ performance by Desi Arnaz, Jr., a sizzling dance duet to ‘Ravel’s Bolero’, the Bandidos de Amor with performances by The Tropidanza Dancers, and a grand finale Conga line.
The Pearl of Havana women arrived elegantly dressed in white with pearls, some had gardenias in their hair, and each man attending was given a Panama hat to wear while enjoying tasty bites and Mohito’s during the silent auction of fine art, exquisite jewelry and more. The auction was held in a very sexy ‘Casa Blanca’ style nightclub area that lead to the main dining room and stage. An Exclusive Cigar Lounge hosted by Arturo Fuente and Santa Barbara Cigars and Tobacco was adjacent to the auction area, where gentlemen enjoyed the best in fine cigars and cocktails. Design inspiration for the evening came from three stunning movies: Bolero (1934), Café Metropole, (1942) a period piece of exquisite nightclub glamour, and Andy Garcia’s Lost City of ‘06.
The catering was done by the very talented Helen An, Crustacean of Beverly Hills. Celebrities were everywhere, including talented actor Hector Elizondo, and talented former tennis champion Jimmy Connors. Beau and Jeff Bridges and Mary Hart were honorary co-chairs for Pearl of Havana, and Luis Estevez de Galvez, internationally renowned designer, architect, and Coty award winner from Montecito, did his amazing magic with the sets.
Santa Barbara Daily Sound
"...Saturday night, amid gusty winds and smoky skies, the foundation held one of the grandest, most elegant fund-raisers the south coast has ever seen.
“The Pearl of Havana: A Cuban Fantasy” boasted some of Hollywood’s biggest names as well many familiar Santa Barbara faces as the charity raised money for mostly single-parent-families.
Celebrity faces in the crowd included actors Andy Garcia, Rob Lowe, Jeff Bridges and Beau Bridges; Entertainment Tonight TV Personality Mary Hart; and up-and-coming actress and host of American Karaoke Champs, Patricia Taylor.
The event, which was held on the polo fields of the Nesbitt Estate in Carpinteria, was a recreation of a glamorous 1940 Havana night club and included a silent auction with well over a million dollars worth of auction items, a live auction, a cigar lounge and an enchanting authentic Cuban stage performance coordinated by JoAnn Jansen.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” UCSB trustee Marilyn Lee said about the $500-a-head event. “This is truly an amazing organization.”
Crustacean restaurant out of Los Angeles catered the six-course Tapas dinner, and Summerland Winery proved the wine.
At the last minute, tennis pro Jimmy Conners donated an hour long private tennis lesson to the live auction and a bidding war erupted. Two lucky biders nabbed the lesson for a whopping $60,000 each.
Desi Arnaz Jr. came out of retirement for the night to lead the band and TV personality Alan Thicke was the master of ceremony.
Guests were magically transported to 1940s Cuba for a night of joy and entertainment..."
(Photos courtesy of Katie Moos Photography) |
