6.30.10: Midsummer Night Swingin' | New York Social Diary

Midsummer Night Swingin'

Midsummer Night Swinging in Damrosch Park. 8:00 PM.

June 30, 2010. Yesterday was a hot summer day with sunshine and intermittent breezes and lower humidity.

Available friends. There was a book party last night for Sarah Simms Rosenthal and her book The Unavailable Father at a friend’s East Side townhouse. Ms. Simms Rosenthal, who is a therapist in professional life, has written a book of case studies/ interviews about fathers who “aren’t there” for their daughters. Sons can apply too, although this book was inspired by the author’s own experience.


	Click cover to order.

However unavailable her father might have been, the author has been blessed with a plethora of friends available for celebrating the publication of her book. Such as: her husband Dr. Mitch Rosenthal (the founder of Phoenix House), Peggy Siegal, Jurate Kazickas, Richard Cohen, George Farias, Susan Stroman, Pamela Fiori, Mort Zuckerman, Kasey Freed Jennings, Candice Bergen and Marshall Rose, William Goldman and Susan Burden, Gale Hayman and Dr. Richard Bockman, Olivia and Warren Hoge, Shirley Lord Rosenthal, Joan Jakobson, Diana Taylor, Judy Miller and Jason Epstein, Joe Armstrong, Richard Hass and Susan Mercandetti, Maureen White and Steve Rattner, Steve and Cynthia Brill, Jesse Kornbluth and Karen Collins, Annette Tapert and Joe Allen, Alex Hitz, Linda Janklow, Cindy Lewis, Jackie and John Leo, Lynn Nesbit, Judy Ney, Hannah Pakula, Susan and Alan Patricof, Paige Peterson and Peter Cary Peterson, Casey Ribicoff, Liz Robbins and Doug Johnson, David Monn, Matt Mallo and Ellen Chesler, Jim and Toni Goodale, Alice Mayhew, Jeffrey and Ashley McDermott, Roger Sherman and Dorothy Kalins, Sassy Johnson, Sara Vass and Richard Mauro, Bettina Zilkha, Robert Zimmerman, Nan and Gay Talese, Lynn Sherr, Wendy Levey. And many more in the availability department.

Meanwhile, as the sun was setting, it turned into a beautiful summer night in New York. Over at Damrosch Park on West 62nd Street, next to the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, they were celebrating the opening night of “Midsummer Night Swing” featuring the “Battle of the Bands” – New York’s George Gee Swing Orchestra vs. Los Angeles’ Bill Elliott Swing Orchestra.

This is a fabulous New York occasion. It’s a neighborhood event (the neighborhood is The Big Apple) and it’s one of those moments (although it runs for several hours) where New Yorkers are New Yorkers – the people of the community out having a good time. The greatest parties of all are the parties where people are dancing, where (almost) everybody’s dancing, and this is what happens at this “Swing.”

There’s a $17 fee, or $90 for a six night pass, or $160 for a Season Pass (15 admissions) for admittance into the large enclosed dance floor and bandstand, but just outside, and well within the sound system’s reach, there are more dance floors set up, and they’re crowded with dancers too. It’s just good fun -- fun to dance and fun to watch, and we need more of these moments. Now more than ever.

JH made this video to give you a good idea of what was happening (click below to view):

The MSNS is made possible in part by grants from Daisy and Paul Soros and the Charina Endowment Fund. The evening got underway about 6. There must have been more than a thousand congregating. The bands started playing at 7:30 and it was joyous pandemonium thereafter.

At about 8 o’clock, Mr. and Mrs. Soros also had a “picnic” buffet seated dinner in a nearby tent within view of the dance floor, for about a hundred of their nearest and dearest. Among the guests: Mai Hallingby Harrison, Jackie Weld and Rod Drake, Marife Hernandez and Joel Bell, Adrienne and Ghighi Vittadini, Muffy and Don Miller, Jones Yorke and Betsy Bartlett, Gale Hayman and Dr. Richard Bockman, Gail Hilson, Pierre Durand, Ann Nitze, Jamee and Peter Gregory, Connie and Stephen Spahn, Vera and Donald Blinken, Judy Ney, Violanne and John Bernbach, Alberto and Annabelle Mariaca, Ellery and Marjorie Reed Gordon.

Jackie Weld Drake with Paul and Daisy Soros.

The consummate hostess, Daisy’s picnic menu included footlong (well, maybe not a foot, but close) hotdogs on a roll, chilled poached salmon, tomatoes and mozzarella, fried chicken, new potatoes; Stilton and Andre cheeses on the table, wines, champagnes and cocktails, followed by a Peach Cobbler and Vanilla ice cream dessert. All within sight and earshot of a fabulous New York Neighborhood Dance party.

The Midsummer Night Swing runs Tuesday through Saturday through July 17th. This is so good that it’s worth it just to go and watch if you don’t want to dance. It’s good for what ails all of us. Check it out and order tickets (or just GO).