Dance, Opera, Legacy, and Preservation

Tracy Ann Johnson

Erick Montes and Asli Bulbul

Janet Wong

The Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company held a 25th anniversary kickoff benefit last Monday night at The Box on Chrystie Street in Manhattan. The festivities began at 7:30 and went far into the night.

Typical of Bill T. Jones, no party is complete without a show of some kind. So in tribute to the vaudeville theater roots of The Box, the Jones Company made a vaudeville show of its own. The evening’s host, La Torita a.k.a Erick Montes was revealed on stage emerging from inside a twinkling Christmas tree; the evening went on from there—with the dancers singing, prancing in various exotic get ups. Bill T. Jones performed a sexy hip-swiveling, torso turning solo to Pirate Jenny defying any reality of his 56 years.

In addition to the Jones/Zane Company dancers and musicians, the over 150 party goers included photographer Cindy Sherman, musician/composer David Byrne, actress Tracy-Ann Johnson, as well as sculptor and set designer Bjorn Amelan, Simon Hammerstein, Serge Becker, Lorna Simpson, lighting designer Robert Wiertzel, Jane Semel, Muna El Fituri, Kweli Washington, the company’s associate artistic director Janet Wong, Bill Katz, and visual artists Glenn Lignon and Lorna Simpson.

Clockwise from above: Erick Montes; Bill T. Jones, Cindy Sherman, and David Byrne; Melissa Gray, Eric Anderson, and Kweli Washington.

Glenn Ligon, Lorna Simpson, and Cindy Sherman

Eric Flannegan and Thais Stiklorius

Jurgen Riehle and Margot Perman

Donald Baechler with Kevin and Bill Katz

Muna El Fituri and Glenn Ligon

Olivier Sultan and Ella Baff

Kathy O'Connor with Dina and Paul Brewer

Donald Baechler, Annabel Wong, and Bill T. Jones

Kweli Washington, Florence, Kentaro and Kojiro Umezaki, and Jean Davidson

Lorna Simpson and Dr. Holly Phillips

Bjorn Amelan and Muna El Fituri

Jabari Magnus, Kweli Washington, and Melissa Gray

Alba Clemente, Brian Kim, and Paul Dierkes

Dena Hammerstein, Diane Borger, and Francesca

City Opera’s Spring Gala featuring a spectacular new production of Henry Purcell’s King Arthur, directed by Mark Morris and featuring the Mark Morris Dance Group, with costumes by Isaac Mizrahi, took place March 5th at the New York State Theater. The performance was followed by a black-tie gala celebration on the Grand Promenade of the New York State Theater at Lincoln Center.

Edmée de M. Firth was honored on this special evening. Mrs. Firth founded New York City Opera’s General Director’s Council in 1997 as a vehicle to support Paul Kellogg’s new vision for the company and to create a new, exciting, opera-loving group in the city. Over the course of the last 10 years, she has built the Council into the intellectual and social heart of City Opera.

'Mizrahi Girls’ dressed by Isaac: Olivia Flatto, Isaac Mizrahi, Caroline Cronson, Patricia Lovejoy, and Marcia Mishaan

All proceeds from the Spring Gala support City Opera’s mission to produce innovative productions of new and classic work, reach a wide audience with affordable ticket prices, and bring music into the lives of thousands of students each year through its acclaimed education programs in the New York City public schools.

Guests included: Susan Baker, Ann Bass and Julian Lethbridge, Beth Rudin DeWoody, Simon Hammerstein, Adam and Olivia Flatto, Michael Lynch, Marcia and Richard Mishaan, Princess Alexandra of Greece and Nicolas Mirzayantz, Mark and Lorry Newhouse, Jeffrey and Elizabeth Peek, Leon and Cynthia Polsky, Renee and Mark Rockefeller, John and Laurie Sykes, Kara Unterberg, Laura and Will Zeckendorf.

Anne Bass, Olivia Flatto, and Isaac Mizrahi

Amy Treitel and Sahra Lese

Adrianne Lobel and Mark Linn-Baker

Coralie Charriol Paul, Lorenzo Lorenzotti, and Serena Boardman

Gerard Mortier and Peter Sellars

Edmée Firth, Gerard Mortier, and Susan Baker

Jordan Doner, Svetlana Kozelkova, and Elle Muliarchyk

Fred Iseman and Serena Boardman

Princess Alexandra of Greece and Nicolas Mirzayantz

Richard and Jennie DeScherer, Mary Wallach, and Robbie Froelich

Prudence and Jerry Inzerillo

Pamela Fiori and Ross Klein

Eva Lorenzotti

Nicolas Mirzayantz and Rufus Albemarle

Lana Wolkonsky and Marcia Mishaan

Michele Gerber Klein, Ivan Bekichev, and Patricia Shiah

Amy Fine Collins and Norman Peck

Reem Acra

Rene and Marie-France Kern

Stephanie and Jesse Newhouse

Susan Zises Green and Lee Elman

At the beginning of the month in Wellington, Jack and Lisa Towell invited the Who’s Who of the horseshow world to their first benefit for the Epilepsy Foundation of America and the Epilepsy Foundation of South Carolina. Nearly a hundred arrived by car or golf cart at the Equestrian Club by Tavern on the Green for an evening of fine fare and good company. Daughter Elizabeth (Liza) Towell-Boyd, who had just won the prestigious $40,000 AHJF Hunter Classic at the Winter Equestrian Festival on Fiyero, son Ned, who is in on the Board of the Epilepsy Foundation of SC, both suffer from epilepsy but manage this with medication. The youngest son Hardin, who attends Florida Atlantic University as well as competing and helping his father Jack and sister Liza with training duties at the family’s stable Finally Farm, was also on hand to show his support.

Although show jumping icon George Morris could not leave the Grand Prix arena across the field while a World Cup qualifying class was taking place, but he was the first to messenger over a donation check to go towards this worthwhile charity.

Barbara Brothers, the Director of the Epilepsy Foundation of SC, gave a short speech encouraging guests to help give light, hope and understanding regarding epilepsy, which affects more than 3 million Americans. She explained that people with seizures should be able to participate in all life experiences and the Foundation’s mission is to prevent, control and cure epilepsy through research, education, advocacy and services.

Lisa and Jack Towell

Carol Coleman and Liza Towell Boyd

Hardin and Ned Towell

Pat Dean and Louise Petz

Bob and Diane Ward

Sandy and David Ballard with daughter Erynn

Sarah Ward and Dean Spartis

Sam and LibbyEdelman, Liza Towell Boyd, and Ned Towell

Ned Towell and Barbarah Brothers

Jack Towell and Louise Petz

Liza Towell Boyd and Lisa Towell

Elizabeth Plummer

Sarah Ward and Jack Towell

Dr. Erica Jacobson and Carol Coleman

Steve Sarafin and Otis Brown

The fifth annual American Legacy Foundation Honors event took place last Monday at The Pierre.

The gala benefitted the Foundation’s many valuable programs and campaigns that educate the public about the deadly toll of tobacco, help youth never to start smoking, and provide resources and tools for adults who need help quitting smoking.


	Bill Novelli and Thomas Frieden

American Legacy Foundation Honors pays tribute to leaders in business, entertainment, government, media and public health that are helping Legacy make the dream of a tobacco-free world a reality.

This year’s honorees included: Bill Novelli, CEO of AARP and former President and current Chairman of the Campaign for Tobacco-free Kids; Claudia Henschke, Ph.D., M.D., F.C.C.P., Chief of Chest Imaging, Professor of Radiology, New York Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical Center; and Thomas H. Peterson MD, Medical Director, Quality, Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital and Medical Director, Healthier Communities, Spectrum Health.

Claudia Henschke, Bill Novelli, Cheryl Healton, and Thomas Peterson

April Wilkner, former contestant on America’s Next Top Model was this year’s host. Presenters included Deborah Morosini, MD, Jason Meza and Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH, Commissioner of NYC Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene. Sonya Robinson, former Miss Black America, gave a special performance on the electric violin.

Benjamin Chu and Sharon Carothers

Carol Campbell Boggs and Bill Boggs

Alma Adams and Sandra Brown

L. to r.: Niki Sarich-Rising and James Humphreys; Kristen Gaspar and Michael Clare; April Wilkner.

Betsy Gregory and Bill Sorrell

Patrick Lynch

Sue Curry and Ellen Gritz

Anne and Thomas Peterson

Claudia Henschke, Deborah Morosini, and Cheryl Healton

Mark Himmelskach and Kristen Guendjoian

The Palm Beach Preservation Ball, chaired by Hilary Geary Ross with décor provided by interior designer Scott Snyder (an Indian affair), with Mr. Snyder just having returned from the land of the Raj replete with all kinds of stuff. Brass lanterns, mogul paintings, saris in rich colors, silks, hand blocked cottons, silvered cups. After the party (at the Breakers), Mr. Snyder donated everything to the Preservation Society to be sold for their profit.