DISNEY HALL

On Thursday night, the champagne flowed as more than 6,000 guests fete Frank Gehry's architectural wonder.

By Gina Piccalo, Times Staff Writer

For three consecutive nights, it was champagne and awe.

Light and music and an enviable sense of civic pride burst from the Walt Disney Concert Hall as thousands of lucky Angelenos and out-of-towners feted Frank Gehry's architectural wonder. The gala-thon started Thursday night and through the weekend drew more than 6,000 guests.

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A decidedly upscale piece of the city's human mosaic mingled in the instant landmark — the moneyed old guard, nouveau Hollywood, the political elite — as well as ordinary culture lovers who couldn't bear not to be part of this extraordinary moment in municipal history. The concerts were followed each night by elegant dinners in a massive tent along Grand Avenue.

The evenings went off without any noticeable hitches. With no hesitation, L.A. Philharmonic President Deborah Borda explained why: "Everything you see that may look effortless now has been planned, literally, for 3 1/2 years. And when you work that hard, you know it's going to be great. And it is."