DISNEY'S THE LION KING ROARS INTO ORANGE COUNTY!
by Orange County Performing Arts Center | May 26, 2010
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| The plaza is transformed |
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The Orange County Performing Arts Center welcomed the return of Disney’s blockbuster Broadway show THE LION KING on Wednesday, May 26 with a special President’s Dinner and cast party on the Center’s community plaza. The theme was “Hakuna Matata – Leave Your Cares Behind.” Guests mingled through tropical foliage, a waterfall and life-size statues of zebras, lions, giraffes, a rhinoceros and elephants. Décor included African Queen vintage luggage, black iron lanterns to light the darkest corners of the landscape and other inspired elements of African adventure design. A nod to civilization was the Jaguar Lounge, complete with complimentary beverages and lounges provided by Jaguar North America. Jaguar displayed the XJL Supersport and XKR Coupe along with a live (though generously and comfortably caged) jaguar named Sheena.
Dinner guests included Richard and Donna Cohn with their children Caitlin and Parker, Larry and Kristina Dodge and daughter Laurenz, Tony and Joann Fanticola, David and Victoria Collins, John and Ruth Ann Evans, Mike and Lynn Joseph, Julie Miller-Phipps, Pat and Bill Podlich, Tim and Cheryl Redfern, Bill and Diana Sanderson and son Collin and daughter Kaylee, Tom and Joyce Tucker, Cindy and Stephen Fry, Eve Kornyei, Moti and Idit Ferder, Shirley Pepys, Glen and Mindy Stearns and Linda and Burton Young.
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| Castmembers of Disney's The Lion King |
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Following the performance, guests returned with the entire cast and company of Disney’s THE LION KING, bringing the total safari to more than 300. Music from DJ MerCat started the party, while the culinary adventure continued with a late evening buffet of watermelon, feta, arugula salad and Caesar salad, antipasti–style vegetables, Israeli couscous tossed with lemon, orange, pine nuts, parsley, cumin, olives, olive oil and red onion, entrees of jumbo shrimp skewers with citrus gremolata and skirt steak skewers with chimichurri. An “out of Africa” candy station was a special sweet treat and, yes, it even had animal crackers!