Casa Captivating
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San Clemente, CA – Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens, a nonprofit southern California cultural center, is pleased to announce that the Honorary Chairs for its annual spring benefit dinner are Dr. Standiford and Noel Helm. The Helms are San Clemente residents, and Dr. Standiford Helm is the owner of the Helm Center for Pain Management in Laguna Woods. Noel Helm is on the Board of Trustees at Casa Romantica. This is their third year chairing and underwriting the fundraiser, which supports Casa Romantica’s performing arts programs for people of all ages.
“We (Casa Romantica) are here to showcase local talent and encourage a creative community. We are also excited to bring awareness of what is happening on an international landscape. Casa Romantica is doing a remarkable job at both,” says Noel.
The benefit’s headliner is Jane Monheit, a Billboard chart-topping vocalist whose study of the Ella Fitzgerald songbook is unparalleled in contemporary music. The cabaret-style evening features a live performance of Ella Fitzgerald songs by Monheit along with a three-course catered dinner, fine wine and cocktails, and a live auction. An Evening with Jane Monheit is part of the Casa Classic series, which is underwritten by Fluidmaster.
Buzzy San Clemente restaurant Iva Lee’s, which specializes in Cajun and Creole cuisine, will cater the event. The menu includes:
First Course
Southern-style fried chicken and waffles with Vermont maple syrup and maple cream cheese
Second Course
Manhattan steak with dauphinoise potatoes, bacon, and pecan-crusted haricot verts with brandy peppercorn sauce OR Creole roasted corn and okra over cheesy Carolina grits
Third/Dessert Course
Classic bread pudding with black and golden raisins and bourbon crème Anglais
The intimate fundraiser is limited to 100 guests. Last year’s fundraiser completely sold out nearly two months in advance, and the event has sold out every year for the past five consecutive years since its inception. Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens has a goal of raising over $15,000 at this preeminent event from ticket and auction sales. VIP guests will mingle with the artist at a champagne reception prior to the performance, and the live auction – which elicits participation from nearly every patron – will include prizes such as a complimentary weekend rental of a luxury car and a Caribbean cruise.
“As a mission-focused event, there is no better way to thank donors for supporting the arts in Orange County than by experiencing Jane Monheit’s astonishingly beautiful and sophisticated tribute to Ella Fitzgerald,” says Casa Romantica Executive Director Berenika D. Palys. “It will be a dazzling fundraiser.”
Jane Monheit biography
Blessed with “a voice of phenomenal beauty” (New York Times), Jane Monheit is establishing herself as one of today’s best jazz vocalists. The singer and songwriter was born in Long Island, NY in a musical family and practiced music and theater as a youth. She studied voice at the Manhattan School of Music and received the William H. Borden award for outstanding accomplishment in jazz. Monheit placed in the 1998 Thelonius Monk Institute’s vocal competition, and released her debut album, Never Never Land, soon after. The album was voted Best Recording Debut by the Jazz Journalists Assopciation and stayed on the Billboard jazz chart for a year. Her sophomore album debuted at #1 on the Billboard jazz chart.
With her new album, The Songbook Sessions: Ella Fitzgerald, Monheit pays joyous tribute to Fitzgerald while sharing a definitive portrait of herself. Her upward swoop is pure Ella, but this album is a classic example of a singer leading her influences rather than being led by them.
Casa Classic series
Casa Romantica’s Casa Classic performance series features the work of internationally-recognized artists. Recent artists have included Garrick Olsson, an award-winning classical pianist, Ann Hampton Callaway, a multi-platinum-selling singer, singer Ivan Rutherford, who stared as Jean Valjean in Broadway’s Les Miserables over 2,300 times, and Tony DeSare, Downbeat magazine’s “Rising Star Male Vocalist” who wowed patrons in 2017 with a Frank Sinatra tribute. Casa Classic has notably also featured the renowned Christ Church Cathedral Choir from Oxford, England. The Casa Classic series is generously underwritten by Fluidmaster.
Casa Classic: An Evening with Jane Monheit is Friday, March 22, 2019 from 6:00 PM until 9:00 PM at Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens. General admission is $175 and includes valet parking, a three-course dinner, and fine wine. VIP admission is $250 and includes an exclusive Meet-the-Artist champagne reception. A live auction will follow Monheit’s performance.
About Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens
Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens maintains a robust series of year-round programs in arts, music, history, horticulture, and literature for all ages. Under the leadership of Executive Director Berenika D. Palys, Casa Romantica has commissioned several critically-acclaimed works, including Casa Coastal: The Art of Baja California (2018; visual art), Casa Theater: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2018; theater), Casa Kinetic: Celebrating Tap Dance Legends (2018; dance), Casa Coastal: Rebecca Louise Law (2017; visual art), Casa Kinetic: Contemporary Dance Collective (2017; contemporary dance), The Beauty of the Butterfly (2017; visual art), Casa Kinetic: Carrie Lee Riggins (2016; contemporary dance), Casa Drama: Slings & Arrows (2015; theater), and Open Casa: The Photographs of Douglas Kirkland (2015; visual art). The 2018-19 Casa Captivating season includes more music, visual and performing arts commissions, and an enhanced wellness program.
“Casa Romantica strives to be the epicenter for innovative artistic experiences in our southern California community,” says Casa Romantica Executive Director Berenika D. Palys.
Casa Romantica also hosts a variety of free arts education programs for children year-round. The institution’s annual Casa Romantica Music Festival and Academy has received critical praise for its comprehensive two-week music studies program in cello, piano, viola, and violin. Casa Romantica also offers a Summer Dance Workshop, a Spring Break Arts Week, various art, literature, and horticulture events to grades K-12, and welcomes over 2,000 children from the Capistrano Unified School District each year for STEAM-based field trips that examine the history of San Clemente and the coastal environment.
Mission Statement: Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization and is the historic home of the founder of the City of San Clemente. Casa Romantica provides programs for all ages in arts, music, history, and horticulture and is a premier Southern California cultural center.
Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens is located at 415 Avenida Granada, San Clemente, CA 92672. Hours: Tuesday—Thursday 11 am—4 pm; Friday—Sunday 10am—2pm; closed Mondays and holidays. General admission is $5; Casa Members and children under age 13 visit for FREE. For more information, call (949) 498-2139 or visit CasaRomantica.org
