Award Winner

THE PARTY Tell the cast and crew who put together the Orange County School of the Arts gala that it was a success, and they’ll say that it takes a village to make it all happen. It’s a community made up of 200 students; Creative Director Cindy Peca, who jets off on a post-party vacay (this time, it’s Cancun), then jumps into the next year’s program; Joe Pileggi, a sound star who has volunteered for the past eight years; and countless others, like the 600 creatives who filled the Hotel Irvine to raise funds for the institution (to the tune of $915,000). THE GUESTS Let’s start with the honorary co-chairs: the Argyroses, Muscos, Newkirks and Segerstroms. These four families have helped shape the arts on our shores. And the bidders were equally worthy of applause: Sally and Toby Andrews nabbed front-row seats at the 2017 bash for $50,000—an indication of the showstopping nature of the eve. THE HIGHLIGHTS On that note, the performers sang, danced and played songs like “25 or 6 to 4” and “Hotel California,” and the audience was brought to its feet, time and time again. –Photos by Eric Anderson and Cheryl Walsh