KCET Benefit at ‘Starlight’

When the KCET Women’s Council went looking for a benefit evening, members didn’t settle for “Dinner With Julia.” Instead, they sold out the house for the Pantages Theater opening of “Starlight Express,” the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical that crosses “Battlestar Galactica” costumes with good old-fashioned roller boogie. The stage had been transformed into what looked like a scale model of the 405 Freeway--without the traffic.

Benefit chairwoman Eileen Bradley organized a dessert and champagne reception in the lobby after the show and supervised the festivities as “Wheel of Fortune” host Bob Goen drew names for door prizes that included high-tech roller skates as well as trips to San Francisco and Switzerland. Vanna White wasn’t there, so Goen was assisted by a costumed member of the cast who went by the name of “Grease Ball.”

In the audience were Ed McMahon, Adrian Zmed, and Ricki Lake, as well as hundreds of KCET supporters like Keith and Bill Kieschnick. “We love to dance, so we love the rhythm and blues,” said Keith. Bill added, “And the disco music and the lasers. We were rocking and rolling in our seats.”

Who says public TV supporters are stodgy? Perhaps next year KCET supporters will be jamming the front rows at the next Bruce Springsteen concert.