ETC Encore

Drama fans were out in force when the Ensemble Theatre Company hosted its annual Curtain Up! gala, kicking off with a Legends of Santa Barbara concert at the New Vic featuring iconic songs from a number of our Eden by the Beach’s legendary artists including Kenny Loggins, Michael McDonald, Katy Perry, Brian Wilson, and Mike Love, and Jackson Browne.

The hour-long show, directed by Jenny Sullivan, featured singers Morganfield Burnett, Miriam Dance, Jackson Gillies, and Lois Mahalia, with music director John Enrico Douglas and talented musicians Tariqh Akoni, Austin Beede, Justin Claveria, George Friedenthal, Randy Tico, and Maitland Ward.

The 150 guests helped raise around $250,000 for the company, which is celebrating its 46th anniversary “Legends & Legacies” season. Afterwards, attendees repaired a tiara’s toss or two down the road to the historic Santa Barbara Club for cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and dinner in the garden, serenaded by the ubiquitous classical guitarist Chris Fossek.

Among the theatrical horde were Scott and Edie DeVine, Dan and Meg Burnham, Sybil Rosen, Robert Weinman, Bob and Val Montgomery, Eve Bernstein, Stewart Hudnut, Simon and Euzetta Williams, George Konstantinow, Mary Dorra, Rod Lathim, David and Anne Gersh, Howard Jay Smith and Patricia Dixon, Joan Rutkowski, Dana White, Peter and Deborah Bertling, Robert Turbin, and Helene Segal.

Unlike last year, there was not an earthquake to be heard…