Tom Bercu Presents produced the 49th Annual Candlelight Concert at Segerstrom Center, transforming a cavernous stage into an intimate, elegant gala experience.
The Segerstrom Center for the Performing Arts hosted its 49th Annual Candlelight Concert in Costa Mesa, CA in 2023. Tom Bercu Presents was tasked with producing a gala that would both raise funds and leave a lasting impression on 600 distinguished guests.
After nearly five decades of Candlelight Concerts, creating something original was no easy feat. The gala required a design that felt fresh and unique, with absolutely no repetition from prior years. Adding complexity, the dinner was staged on the theater’s main stage with 35-foot ceilings, requiring a dramatic reveal that transformed the vast space into an intimate, elegant dining environment. Tight budgets, union labor requirements, and a busy performance schedule at the venue made efficient execution essential.
To honor the event’s history while ensuring originality, Tom Bercu Presents reviewed 15 years of past designs. Every detail was engineered for both scale and intimacy, from rigging calculations for flown elements to creative selections like bold patterned wallpaper framed by thousands of hand-applied, gold-dipped magnolia leaves. Dining and lighting design further enhanced the setting, culminating in a carefully choreographed one-minute “reveal” of the dinner environment—designed to rival the spectacle of Olympic ceremonies.
With 600 guests in attendance, the transformation of the stage into a warm and elegant gala space was flawless. The design blended grandeur with intimacy, ensuring the fundraising dinner felt both spectacular and personal.
Guests were stunned by the magnitude of the custom décor and awed by the dramatic reveal. Gasps quickly gave way to thunderous applause, marking the event as one of the most memorable Candlelight Concerts in its 49-year history.
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