11.17.09: Everybody was happy | New York Social Diary

Everybody was happy

More action on The High Line. 3:00 PM. Photo: JH.

November 17, 2009. Mainly sunny, not cold yesterday in New York.

The Michael’s Lunch. Lunch with an old friend to discuss the state of the financials – always interesting since my friend is brilliant and sensible and experienced.

I’m late. I sit down and look around the room to see who is there. I see Leonard Lauder and another man chatting with people at another table while making their way out. I see Herb Siegel, the media tycoon (Chris Craft) with his back to us and his wife Jeanne sitting across from him, along with Fred Silverman, the one fabled production head of CBS, under whose aegis was fostered many classics, such as All In the Family, Mary Tyler Moore, M*A*S*H, The Waltons, Cannon, Barnaby Jones, Kojak, The Sonny and Cher Show. Those were the days; I’ll say.

Also at table one in the corner, three tables down the line from me, was a big dark skinned man who looked very familiar. Shaved head; small head for a big frame (maybe 6’1”), a charming almost boyish innocence to his face; wearing an open collar bright chartreuse shirt which was casually stylish and suited him. He had the elegance of ease of someone who’d had celebrity, so I knew he was famous. He was with another man and a woman whose name I’ve been told but have forgotten, who is an important television producer. I couldn’t identify him.

A few minutes later, the guys at the table next to him got up to leave but stopped and said hello. Joe Armstrong and Harold Ford Jr., the former Tennessee Congressman who is Vice Chair of Merrill Lynch. The man in the chartreuse shirt stood up to shake their hands. Very tall, wide frame; naturally gracious and welcoming. Somebody.

Then Armstrong and Ford were passing our table on their way and out, and stopped to say hello. “Who was that guy you were just talking to?” I asked Harold. “Darryl Strawberry.” Aha! I knew he looked familiar but I’m not a big sports fan as you can tell.

Then a few minutes later Darryl Strawberry sauntered past also, and nodded and said hello, as did we. Everybody was happy.

Sometimes, like this moment just described, it is fascinating to watch a celebrity when the charisma is operating. It’s a performance but it’s not. I knew of course that Darryl Strawberry was a star athlete. But now I could see he also was/is something else. He has that charisma aside from his skill. That force of personality, combined with the boyish-innocence, and his natural grace with those around him. You can see it operating. And it’s a pleasure to watch. Like a moment of the human ideal that exists in all of us, one way or another, if only in our imagination. And, it’s that fatal charm as well.

The invite and the menu for last night's dinner for the French Heritage Society.

Last night was black tie as this is the season. It was the French Heritage Society’s 2nd annual gala dinner dance at one of the private clubs here in Manhattan. I’m being purposely coy because it’s yet another one of those clubs that promotes the antique dernier cri of privacy. That said, it is a most interesting club, founded by a most interesting woman who coincidentally also happened to have a great passion for France. Back in the day.

The French Heritage Society engages in funding restorations of varying monuments of French culture (mainly in France). It is also a great pleasure for a great many Americans who are francophiles and happy to be so.

The dinner table at the French Heritage Society.

The red and the black (at opposite sides of the table) ...

And the table.

This gala is very much Old Guard in style. A dinner dance. Good food, great wines, just enough said, and graced with the presence of His Excellency the Ambassador of France to the United States, Pierre Vimont (whom you’ve read about more than once on the Washington Social Diary).

Black tie, the women in gowns and long dresses and the diamonds and emeralds sparkling up the austere décor of the club’s ballroom. And Bob Hardwick and his orchestra priming the crowd to get up and dance and dance. Which they do. Very civilized and a good time being had by all.

Bob Hardwick and orchestra.

The dancing crowd.

The Dinner’s chairs were Rene-Pierre and Alexis Azeria, CeCe and Lee Black, Karen and Howard Clark, Mr. and Mrs. John C. Harvey, Comtesse Elisabeth de Kergorlay, Odile de Schietere and Michel Longchampt, Elizabeth Stribling and Guy Robinson, Jean and Martin Shafiroff.

The wine consultant (this party always has a wine consultant and thus the wines are excellent) was George Sape. Mr. Sape gave us a brief rounddown of the wines being served. His congenial “lecture” served as the Special Guest Entertainment with waitstaff nearby ready.

Elizabeth Stribling and Cece Cord

Cheri Kaufman

Frank and Victoria Wyman with Barbara Bancroft

Konrad Kessee and Irene Aitken

Patricia and Tom Shiah

Lyn Grant

Pilar Molyneux and friend

Entre nous

Last night, the American-Italian Cancer Foundation hosted its annual benefit dinner and live auction at the Racquet and Tennis Club. Journalist Paula Zahn served as mistress of ceremonies for the black tie event, which raised money (tables cost as much as $50,000, with individual tickets going for $1,500) for cancer research.

Dr. Brian Druker of the Oregon Health & Science University Cancer Institute and Dr. George Demetri of the Ludwig Center at the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center were each awarded a $50,000 research grant in honor of their accomplishments that led to the Therapeutic Development of Kinase Inhibitors.

The American-Italian Cancer Foundation, led by Executive Director Addie Backlund, specifically helps economically disadvantaged and medically underserved women in New York City through breast cancer screening, outreach, and education. In an age where the number of global cancer deaths is expected to increase 45 percent between now and 2030, the groundbreaking research that the foundation supports is critical.

In his acceptance remarks, Dr. Druker talked about the cancer success stories he has had a hand in, such as keeping alive a woman who was referred to him out of a hospice 11 years ago long enough that she has been able to live to see her grandchildren graduate from college and have children of their own.

Dr. Demetri, a first-generation Greek-American and the first in his family to attend college, spoke with humility about how he has come to study cancer and treat patients. After the speeches (and between the crab cake appetizer and veal chop main course), Benjamin Doller of Sotheby's led a live auction that included items like a $100,000 full naming opportunity to the foundation's Pancreatic Cancer Research Initiative, box seats to a new production of Les Contes d'Hoffmann at the Metropolitan Opera, and two Girard-Perregaux watches. — SD for NYSD

Archbishop Celestino Migliore and Paula Zahn

Barbara Meguid, Richard Perkins, and Fern Hamond

Charles Dowling and Douglas Cohen

Linda and Conrad Foa with Gabriella Lorenzotti

Kent and Addie Backlund

Dr. George Demetri, Dr. Paul Marks, and Dr. Brian Druker

Dr. Franco Muggia and Anna Muggia

Over at the Edison Ballroom on 47th Street, performers and philanthropists alike attended the Broadway Salutes Arts Horizons Gala.

The evening, which featured a silent auction and several live performances, honored Stewart Lane and Bonnie Comely, the husband-and-wife producing and theater-owning team whose work on Broadway (To name a few: The 39 Steps, Legally Blonde, and the revival of Gypsy starring Bernadette Peters) has garnered five Tony Awards.


	The menu

Also honored was John Devol who founded Arts Horizons, which has brought education in the arts to nearly eight million children including inner city youth-at-risk and those with special needs.

Guests were greeted by Lane and Comley, who were as warm and attentive as if they were hosting an intimate dinner party.

Comely, wearing Oscar de la Renta, introduced herself to strangers, ushered individuals into mass photo-ops, and presented her daughters (of five children) to Academy Award winning actress and Chairman of Arts Horizons, Celeste Holm.

The interaction between Comley and Holm was so warm that one guest assumed that they were relatives. "Oh, no." Comely beamed, "What a compliment ... I would love to be related to her, she's beautiful!"

The Ambiance.

Lauren Glassberg, Peabody Award winner was mistress of ceremonies, recognized the vital support of the Gala Chairs, including Diane Passage, and the Benefit Committee including Kipton Cronkite, Sandra Jordan-Bishop, Wayne Haymer, Catherine Saxton, Patricia Palermo, and Caroline Lieberman.

Although neither Joanne Woodward (Comley and Lane received the Paul Newman Award from radio personality Lee Harris) nor Tom Kitt (whose "Next to Normal" song was performed by Jen Collella) could make the event, Kitt sent his regards through an iPhone message which was read aloud.

Dinner in full swing.

The silent auction featured a variety of items including a yacht cruise, a champagne bottle signed by artist LeRoy Neiman, and dinner at Gramercy Tavern – Items unintentionally linked to those enumerated in Celeste Holm and Frank Sinatra's song from High Society, Cole Porter’s "Who wants to be a Millionaire?"

Also in attendance were Peter Culver, ABT’s principal dancers Irina Dvorovenko and Maxim Beloserkovsky, Rozanne Gold, Steve Ash, Alan Nunez, Ashley Lauren Fisher, Clayton Evans, and Heather Halberstam. — TS for NYSD

Celeste Holm

Dianne Passage

Lauren Glassberg

John Devol, Stewart Lane, and Bonnie Comley

Leah Lane and Bonnie Comely

Kipton Cronkite

Maxim Beloserkovsky and Irina Dvorovenko

Ellie Lane

The Honorees and Marcia McCabe

Clayton Evans, Gloria Page, and Raab Rashi

And over at the Metropolitan Pavilion, with Tim Gunn as emcee, the Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC), the nation’s oldest HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care services provider, hosted a Fashion Forward event which featured a runway show of Holiday/Resort 2009 Designer collections from Saks Fifth Avenue including Burberry, Dolce & Gabana, Gucci, Alexander McQueen.