In-Tents Situation

A large tent had been erected to protect the 420 guests at the sold-out 16th Gold Ribbon lunch for the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation at the Biltmore from the blazing sun, but it served an entirely different purpose when the heavens opened, deluging the tony beachside hostelry in a rare rainstorm.

Silent auction items had to be rapidly moved inside a nearby room, along with the registration tables, causing sweaty social gridlock until the downpour was over.

Generosity poured as well, with the event, co-chaired by Kathy Kelley and Lacy Taylor, raising around $370,000 for the popular charity, which since 2002 has awarded $1.95 million in financial assistance to 2,142 individuals in the tri-counties.

The ubiquitous Andrew Firestone was in particularly energetic mode, auctioning off a Costa Rica vacation for $3,250 and a gold and diamond ring, donated by Leonard Himelsein, for $2,000, with awards going to the Schultz Family Foundation, the Trejos family, Robyn Howard-Anderson, Tracy Angel, and Shannyn Tupper.

Legendary comedienne and longtime supporter Carol Burnett donated her Silver Lining collection of items, including platters and a wine decanter that guests could bid on.

The lunch concluded with a performance by singer Justin Fox of the group Dishwalla, accompanied by the Teddy Bear Singers.

Among the tony throng of ursine supporters were Jeff and Margo Barbakow, Earl and Claudia Minnis, David Edelman, Lindsey Leonard, Bob and Patty Bryant, Dan Encell, Anne Towbes, Lynda Weinman, Bruce Heavin, Randy Weiss, Michael Baker, Robyn Parker, Catherine Remak, Ali Ahlstrand, Jean von Wittenburg, Carla Tomson, Donna Barranco-Fisher, Diana MacFarlane, Morrie and Irma Jurkowitz, and Ginni Dreier.

On the Money, by the Numbers

Forbes magazine has just issued its top 400 U.S. annual rich list and, for the first time, a third of American billionaires were considered “too poor” to make the elite rankings, but, as usual, our rarefied enclave is well represented.

After 24 years at the top of the list, Microsoft tycoon Bill Gates, 63, has been toppled by Amazon magnate Jeff Bezos, 54, whose fortune is estimated at $160 billion – up from $81.5 billion last year – beating Gates by a hefty $63 billion.

Berkshire Hathaway founder Warren Buffett, 88, is third on the list with $88.3 billion, an increase of $10.3 billion in 2017, with Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, 34, valued at $71 billion, a $10 billion increase from last year.

Santa Barbara resident and Oracle entrepreneur Larry Ellison, 74, comes in fifth with $58.4 billion, while Montecito resident and Google honcho Eric Schmidt, 63, is at 33 with $14.4 billion.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, 76, a frequent visitor while his NFL team has summer training in Oxnard, is 75th in the rankings with $6.9 billion, with Stars Wars producer George Lucas, 74, who has a beach house in Carpinteria, at 123 with $5.4 billion.

Developer Rick Caruso, 59, whose long-awaited Miramar beach hotel is scheduled to open in the New Year, is ranked 179 with $4 billion, while mall and sports magnate Herb Simon, 84, is 251 with $3.2 billion.

Our most famous resident, Oprah Winfrey, 64, is 298 on the list with $2.8 billion, a slight decrease from 2017, while Beanie Baby billionaire Ty Warner, 74, owner of the Biltmore and San Ysidro Ranch, is ranked 316 with $2.6 billion.

The total net worth of those on the list rose to $2.9 trillion, a record high, with half the wealth held by the top 45 people ranked.

Lady and the Little Tramp

State Street Ballet opened its 24th season with one of its boldest programming decisions ever with its outstanding performance of Chaplin at the Granada.

The full-length world premiere is a truly remarkable collaboration with three diverse choreographers, Kevin Jenkins – who came up with the idea – and Edgar Zendejas joining forces with longtime resident choreographer and new co-artistic director, New Yorker William Soleau, bringing to life the immensely complicated, but uniquely comedic work of silent film star Charlie Chaplin.

The highly entertaining performance combined with soundscape, multimedia, and many other elements taking the audience on a spellbinding, delightful ride into the mind that was the creative genius of Chaplin, who used to own the Montecito Inn.

New company member Ahna Lipchik, along with last year’s arrival James Folsom, were quite superb as the show’s primary portrayers of Chaplin, who died at his home in Switzerland in 1977 at the age of 88.

It was a show combined with the comedian’s traditional slapstick mixed with pathos, featuring his trademark shrugs and wriggles, and his work not only in front, but behind the camera.

A tour de force that founder Rodney Gustafson can be immensely proud of as the tony troupe scales new balletic heights.