This is the release build of the CEGUI demo?
Not sure why it would do that.. Usually, any bug/crash/etc that only shows in release build is almost always because of an uninitialised pointer or variable... or stack corruption... Debug builds always init variables, and also pad memory so often times release mode you see errors crop up like this.
Though, I have never seen amy problems with release build.. In fact, just a month or so ago I ran the CEGUI theora demo through valgrind (a memory checker on linux) and removed the only use of an unintialised variable (that was in the demo with regards to the seeking bar movie length and Sprectrum bars IIRC). - though, that is not saying that one may not exist. I'll look, think more about it tomorrow as it is a little late now.. and the awesome show Prison Break is about to start.