CHOC Follies XVII Presents "CHOCTON Abbey"

NEWPORT BEACH, CA, March 05, 2014 (Press-News.org) CHOC Follies, the annual original musical comedy production that raises funds for CHOC Children's, is pleased to present "CHOCTON Abbey, the Musical Ups and Downs of Orange County High Life." This year, three evening performances and a Saturday matinee will be held at the Robert B. Moore Theatre in Costa Mesa, Calif., from Thursday, March 28 through Saturday, March 30.

The CHOC Follies has earned a reputation as one of Orange County's most original and successful charity events, netting more than $6 million to date for CHOC Children's. This year's production, "CHOCTON Abbey," is a hilarious, lighthearted send-up of the wildly popular PBS series, "Downton Abbey," brought to life onstage by nearly 100 of Orange County's prominent business and civic leaders.

To liven things up even more this year, the Follies will feature cameo appearances by die-hard "Downton Abbey" fans, Bette and Wylie Aitken, and Margo and Paul Folino.

"I want to thank our amazing co-producer, Lois Augustine; our co-chairs, Sandy Segerstrom Daniels, Dale Skiles and SueAnn Cross and our wonderful artistic team of all 17 years, director John Vaughan, music director Doug Austin, and choreographer Lee Martino," said Founder and Executive Producer Gloria Zigner. "I also want to express my deep appreciation of our cast of thousands of talented Orange County members of the community who have performed over the years, and our generous sponsors and donors."

This year, proceeds of the CHOC Follies will support the hospital's Child Life Department's Music and Art Therapy Program.

Performances of "CHOCTON Abbey, the Musical Ups and Downs of Orange County Life" will be held at the Robert B. Moore Theatre at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, on Thursday, March 27 at 8 p.m., Friday, March 28 at 8 p.m., and on Saturday, March 29, 2012 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Tickets for performances on Thursday night and Saturday's matinee are $75 and $45. For Friday and Saturday nights, tickets are $125 (includes after-show cast party), $75 and $50. All seats are reserved, and group sales tickets are available.

To learn more about the CHOC Follies, become a sponsor, make a donation or purchase tickets, please go to the website, http://www.chocfollies.org, or contact Lois Augustine at laugustine@choc.org or 714.509.4140.

About CHOC Follies
Founded by Executive Producer Gloria Zigner in 1997, the CHOC Follies has mobilized thousands of Orange County residents to sing, dance and delight audiences with hilarious original musical comedies year after year. Netting more than $6 million to date in donations for CHOC Children's, the CHOC Follies has become a powerful Orange County institution in its own right.

About CHOC Children's
Named one of the best children's hospitals by U.S. News & World Report (2012-2013) and a 2013 Leapfrog Top Hospital, CHOC Children's is exclusively committed to the health and well-being of children through clinical expertise, advocacy, outreach and research that brings advanced treatment to pediatric patients. Affiliated with the University of California, Irvine, CHOC's regional healthcare network includes two state-of-the-art hospitals in Orange and Mission Viejo, several primary and specialty care clinics, a pediatric residency program, and four centers of excellence - The CHOC Children's Heart, Neuroscience, Orthopaedic and Hyundai Cancer Institutes.

CHOC earned the Gold Level CAPE Award from the California Council of Excellence, the only children's hospital in California to ever earn this distinction, and was awarded Magnet designation, the highest honor bestowed to hospitals for nursing excellence. Recognized for extraordinary commitment to high-quality critical care standards, CHOC's Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) is the first in the United States to earn the Pediatric Beacon Award for Critical Care Excellence.