L.A., Houston, and Palm Beach Social Diary

Michael Eisner, Alyce Williamson, Jane Eisner, and Joan Hotchkis

Los Angeles, CA — The young Venezuelan conducting sensation Gustavo Dudamel doesn’t take over his duties with the Los Angeles Philharmonic until October 2009 but LA Philharmonic Board member John Hotchkis and his wife Joan threw a festive dinner party to introduce Gustavo and his wife Eloisa, to friends of the Philharmonic and its Board.

The Philharmonic’s current conductor, Esa-Pekka Salonen, will hand over the baton to Gustavo dudamel at a concert and ceremony at the Hollywood Bowl on October 3rd. Dudamel will make his official debut with the Philharmonic at its gala season opening at the Walt Disney Concert Hall on October 8th.

Tom Gregory and David Bohnett

Dan and Christine Ewell

Rob Maguire and Laurie Gilmore

John and Joan Hotchkis with Gustavo and Eloisa Dudamel

Constance Towers Gavin and Ambassador John Gavin

Vicki and Terry McCluggage

Deborah Borda and Jay Rasulo

Ann and Arnold Kopelson

Tom Jones, Lynn Booth, and Peter Mullin

Mark Lipson, Suzanne Kayne, and Margy Eberhart

Don and Kelly Johnson

Ric and Susanne Kayne

John and Kimberly Emerson

Alyce Williamson, Jennifer Diener, and Ellen Lipson

Judy Beckman and Linda Hodge

Houston, TX — The 25th Annual One Great Night in November, an elegant Gentleman’s black tie event, was held on a Wednesday in the middle of November at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston where just over 265 men raised $800,000 and inspired a pledge from the MFAH Board of Trustees for an additional $275,000 for the purchase of art for the museum, bringing in 24 news works of art.

Mr. Meredith J. Long and Mr. Fayez Sarofim chaired the benefit evening and the chairmen’s sons served as Honorary Chairman: Peter K. Jameson, Melvin Trey, Allard Lipsitz III, Ernest Meredith Long, Edwin H. Murphy, J. Cavanaugh O’Leary, Andrew Sarofim, Christopher Sarofim, Maxwell Sarofim, and Phillip Sarofim.

Davinder Bhatia, Lenoir Josey, and Dr. James Willerson

Jim Crane, Jared Crane, and Gregg Steffen

Bo Long, Trey Lipsitz, and Peter Jameson

Fayez Sarofim and Peter Marzio

Lee Godfrey and Don Short

Maxwell Sarofim and Phillip Sarofim

Crawfiels Moorefield and Frank Hevrdejs

Ed Eubanks, Mickey Ables, and Mike Linn

Mike Ballases, Bill Wheless, and Frank Hevrdejs

Scott Holstead, David Grimes, and Christopher Sarofim

Reed Morian and Jody McCord

Ben Lundquist and friend

Tom Glanville and Mike Linn

John Loring and Mike McClure

Meredith Long and Alfred Glassell III

Preceding the 25th annual Gentleman’s Smoker, One Great Night, the museum hosted a cocktail reception in honor of John P. "Jack" Cowan (1920-2008), an artist who created sporting art inspired by the Texas coast and the region’s wildlife and who often depicted his friends saltwater fishing or bird hunting. Approximately 30 paintings by the artist were on view.

Aimee Woodall and Sara Allen Abbott

Bob Coffman and Martha Harris

Linda McReynolds

Monica Bickers, Allie Fields, and Elin Jackson

Caroline Clinton, Kathleen Tanner, and Dana Kantalis

Cornelia Long

Kitty Allen with Meredith and Cornelia Long

Elin Jackson

Kate Stukenberg and Peter Marzio

Laurann Claridge and Catherine Anspon

Willard Holmes and Amy Purvis

Martha and Trey Lipsitz

Sara Allen Abbott, Kitty Allen, and Kate Stukenberg

Michelle and Frank Hevrdejs

Marjorie Horning and Jack Tausend

Meredith and Cornelia Long

Ron and Sarah Simon

Will and Kate Stukenberg

Corky Bloomfield and John Parker

Peter Marzio

Emily Neff

Tony Burden

Liz Anders

Palm Beach, FL — Shannon Donnelly, the revered, sometimes feared, fawned over society editor of the Palm Beach Daily News, recently used the term “smoking ash heap” to describe the Palm Beach economy in the wake of the Madoff Mess. And while that may certainly be the awful truth for some of the island’s richest Ritchy Riches, it’s becoming quite clear that the future of America’s gilded resort lies in the hands of its youth, especially those who didn’t have millions to fork over to Mr. Madoff.

A perfect example of who will be who on PB’s reset playing field showed up in high spirits for architect Michael and Diana Perry’s annual holiday drinks party in the Preservation Foundation’s ethereal Pan’s Garden, gifted by the late Lydia Buhl Mann. There, in sky-high Louboutins and sexy sheaths: folks like Kourtney and Mac Pulitzer, Penny and Keith Williams, Stephen Mooney and Scott Velozo, Cristina and Desmond Keogh, Preservation Foundation exec John Ripley, Scott Moses, Andrea and Brian Kosoy, Joanie and Kim Sargent (the renowned interior design photographer) Melanie and Chris Hill, Patrick Killian, Kenn Karakul, Coleen Orrico, Sarah and Brian Miller, Steven Stolman, and Wendall Nuckols.