The fall season begins all over the map ...

George Perry and Alexia Hamm Ryan

Tara Stack and Joe Kelly

At the opening of Doubles new season, the private club’s director Wendy Carduner greeted guests who were all in the mood for a celebration. They dined in candlelight on a delicious buffet created by Chef Steve Mellina. Then danced and mingled ‘til midnight.

In the mix were Tara and Michael Rockefeller, Christine Schwarzman, Mark Gilbertson, Jennifer Bradford Davis, Graziano di Boni, Alexia Hamm Ryan, Courtney Arnot, Geoffrey Bradfield, Jennifer Creel, Caroline Dean, Deni and Brad Wendt, Evelyn Tompkins, John Royall, Ellen Niven Deery, Mark Grischke, Bryan Colwell, Kari and Carl Tiedemann, Calvert and George Moore, Sara and Charlie Ayres, Avery Broadbent, Doug Braff, Betsy Pitts, Peter Van Ingen, Kamie and Richard Lightburn, Kathryn and Gentry Beach, George Perry, Lil Phillips, Dale Leff, Joe Kelly, Tara Stack, Andrew Georges, Katie Boudria, Tanner Zucker, Elissa Doyle, Raymond Going, Carolyn Rowley, Stephen Murray, Jeanne and Alex Sloane, Beth and Charlie Wagner, Nina Reeves, Rusty Nype, Debbie and Arthur Romaine, Lisa Philp, Bruce Addison, Kathleen Giordano, Anson and Veronica Beard, Marjorie and Carlos Colonna, Sarah and Jeremy Goldstein, and Ann Crabtree.

Katie Boudria, Elissa Doyle, Avery Broadbent, and Carolyn Rowley

Courtney Arnot, Mark Gilbertson, and Christine Schwarzman

Caroline Dean and Mark Gilbertson

Tara Rockefeller and Betsy Pitts

Brad and Deni Wendt

Geoffrey Bradfield and Christine Schwarzman

Kathryn Beach, Anson, and Veronica Beard

Roger Webster and Nina Reeves

Beth and Charlie Wagner

John Royall and Kathryn Beach

Ellen Niven Deery, Jennifer Creel, and Graziano di Boni

George Perry and Calvert Moore

Kamie and Richard Lightburn

Jennifer Bradford Davis and Kathleen Giordano

Geoffrey Bradfield, Caroline Dean, and Bryan Colwell

Photographs by Ann Watt

Last Thursday night at The Gates on 290 Eighth Avenue at 25th Street, Maggie Norris and Jay McInerney hosted a kick-off reception for the upcoming 2009 Hope For Depression Seminar and Luncheon. This event is organized by Hope For Depression Research Foundation which funds international scientific research into origins, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of depression and its related mood and other emotional disorders.

At Thursday’s party: Audrey Gruss who founded and chairs the foundation; event co-chairs Anne Eisenhower, Jackie Drake, Lis Waterman and Coralie Charriol Paul, as well as Arts Committee Co-chairs, Jim Aman and Kim Heirston; along with Muffie Aston, Barbara Bancroft, Ann Dexter Jones, Denise Rich, Geoffrey Bradfield, Ike Ude, Richard Turley, Doug Hannant and Fred Anderson, Mario Buatta, Beth DeWoody, Michael Gross, Somers Farkas, Felicia Taylor, Lisa Dennison, Vanessa Noel, Regina and Rainer Greeve, Mai Hallingby-Harrison, Paet Patterson, Janna Bullock, Anh Duong, Anne Hearst, Peggy Siegal, Alex McCord, Debbie Bancroft and Liliana Cavendish.

Felicia Taylor, Douglas Hannant, and Audrey Gruss

Richard Turley, Denise Rich, and Ike Ude

Anne Dexter Jones and Denise Rich

Simon Vankempen and Alex McCord

Jay McInerney and Liliana Cavendish

Maggie Norris, Lady Liliana Cavendish, and Jim Aman

Douglas Hannant and Frederick Anderson

Anne Dexter Jones and Kim Heirston

Jackie Drake

Somers Farkas and Alex McCord

Orsay's Belle Epoch private dining room took on the air of La Boheme's second act for the Palm Beach Opera's kickoff dinner for board members and guests in honor of its 2009-10 "Season of Temptation."

Chairman Marc Solomon welcomed the crowd and enthusiastically announced the arrival of his first grandchild, Scarlett, followed by a overview of the upcoming season by general manager Daniel Biaggi.

Surrounding the tables – the company's dramatic production posters by illustrator Mark Stutzman, best known for his Stephen King covers, the Elvis stamp for the US Postal Service and Broadway posters for shows such as the recent revival of "Annie Get Your Gun" with Bernadette Peters. The arrival of Mario Buatta, fresh from a brief hospital stay, was greeted with rousing applause.

Among the opera fans: Anka Palitz, Gillian and Sylvester Miniter, Nancy Clark and Chris Dewey, Sharon Sondes and Geoffrey Thomas, Anita Meltzer, Roger Webster, Dorothy Lappin, Bob Dowling, Michel Witmer, Dr. Dino Rivera, Steven Stolman, Gladys Benenson, Kirk de Gooyer, Suzanne von Liebig, Jason Grant, Florence and Robert Kaufman, Ann and Robert Fromer, Mark Langrish, Carol Bell and Preston Atinsky.

Mark Langrish and Bob Dowling

Robert Kaufman, Florence Kaufman, Robert Fromer, and Anne Fromer

Anka Palitz, Geoffrey Thomas, and Sharon Sondes

Michele Merson, Alan Merson, and Nancy Clark

Susan von Liebig and Daniel Biaggi

Mark Langrish and Roger Webster

Steven Stolman and Dorothy Lappin

Dorothy Lappin, Sy Malamed, Michel Witmer, and Gladys Benenson

Carol Lederman and Anne Fromer

Anita Meltzer and Roger Webster

Carol Bell and Preston Atinsky

Sylvester and Gillian Miniter

Photographs by PatrickMcMullan.com [1]

The Atlantic, in partnership with The Aspen Institute and the Newseum, launched the “First Draft of History,” their first-ever gathering of influential media, government and business leaders in Washington, D.C.

Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer at a lunchtime interview with Jacob Weisberg

Ronald Brownstein and Norah O’Donnell

Elliott Yamin talks about his Idol Gives Back trip to Angola last year

Atlantic Media Chairman David Bradley addresses the audience at the “First Draft of History.”

Vernon Jordan and NBC News Washington Bureau Chief Mark Whitaker

Louis Chenevert, Senator John McCain, and Justin Smith

Former Chairman of the Federal Reserve Alan Greenspan

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano

Senator Lindsey Graham

ABC News anchorman Charlie Gibson interviews David Axelrod, senior adviser to President Obama

Google CEO Eric Schmidt and The Atlantic’s James Fallows

The Atlantic’s Justin Smith, Newseum’s Charles Overby, and The Aspen Institute’s Walter Isaacson

Meet the Press host David Gregory interviews Senator John McCain

Houston Symphony Society and Houston Symphony League held its 2009 Opening Night Gala, Houston, We Have Lift Off. Betty and Jesse B. Tutor were the evening's Honorees. Judy and Scott Nyquist served as Chairmen. Opening Night was sponsored by ConocoPhillips.

Donatella Benckenstein

Cindi Harwood Rose

Margaret Alkek Williams

The Houston Symphony opens its 2009-2010 season with classical music giant Emanuel Ax performing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4, Stravinsky’s thrilling suite from The Firebird and a sneak peek from the orchestra’s January world premiere piece, The Planets – An HD Odyssey.

This year’s Opening Night Gala immediately followed the concert at The Corinthian where a grand time was had by all.