Autumn in New York: Fall for All

Dinner at the Boys' Club Fall Dance at Cipriani 42nd Street.

Last Wednesday night, the Boys’ Club of New York held its 59th annual Fall Dance. Chairmen Celeste Boele, Nicole Perry and Kathryn Tyree turned Cipriani 42nd Street into a Cuban nightclub for “A Night in Havana” with palm trees and exotic orchids topping the tables and bananas, pineapples, oranges and other fruit surrounding tall cylindrical glass vases over shimmering burnt orange tablecloths.

Jordan Andrews, a nine year old member of the Boys’ Club Elbridge Gerry Jr. Clubhouse set off the evening with a soaring solo performance of the National Anthem. The menu included Latin-inspired seafood ceviche and New York Steak with sweet chili cilantro sauce. After dinner, the President of the Women’s Board, Monique Merrill introduced Bill Tyree, a Boys’ Club trustee, to conduct the auction.

Si Anthony with Boys' Club boys

Enjoying their Night in Havana were Cynthia and Dan Lufkin, Amy and John Griffin, Rachel and Ara Hovnanian, Ellen Niven and Tristram Deery, Eleanor and Jon Ylvisaker, Wendy Carduner, Simone and Chirstopher Mailman, Jill and Andrew Roosevelt, Betsy and Rob Pitts, Travis and Nicholas Acquavella, Sara Charles Ayres, Mark Gilbertson, Hamish Bowles, Devon and Peter Briger, Mary and Michael Darling, Whitney and James Fairchild, Kerry and Kellogg Gaines, Cosby and Timothy George, Merrill Hanley and Ashton Curtis and Nicole Hanley, Nathalie and Eward Kaplan, Alexandra Lebenthal and Jim Lebenthal, Elizabeth Meigher, Shafi and Alexander Roepers.

Goody bags for the ladies was a velvet cosmet case with a Carmen Miranda-like dancing lady embroidered on the side, created especially for the evening by Stubbs & Wooten.

The Fall Dance benefits The Boys’ Club’s educational, mentoring, and recreational programs that change the lvies of inner-city boys. The Boys’ Club gives its boys and young men a chance for brighter future.

Alexandra Lebenthal

Amy and John Griffin

Caroline and Tom Dean

Marisa Noel Brown

Andrew and Kathy Thomas with Sara and Charles Ayres

Cosby George on the dance floor

Cynthia and Jan van Eck with Cynthia and Dan Lufkin

Monique Merrill welcomes guests

From the back

Gene and Jackie Williams

Co-Chairs Nicole Perry, Celeste Boele, and Kathryn Tyree

Kathryn and Bill Tyree

Fall Dance scene

Kirk Henckels and Fernanda Kellogg

There was a kickoff party for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation’s "A Magical Evening" gala on Wednesday, October 3 at Di Modolo and Royal Chie. It was a magical evening full of shopping, sushi and champagne. A percentage of the proceeds from all items sold benefited the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.

This year’s gala takes place on November 12, at the Marriott Marquis. Meryl Streep will be the recipient of the Dana Reeve HOPE Award, Lee and Bob Woodruff will be the recipients of the Christopher Reeve Spirit of Courage Award and Henry G. Stifel, founding member of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation will be the recipient of the Visionary Leadership Award. Eaddo and Peter Kiernan, Francine LeFrak and Rick Friedberg, Diane Sawyer & Mike Nichols, Diana L. Taylor and Sherrie and David Westin are this year’s Co-Chairs.

Benny and Nicole Shabtai

Geoffrey Thomas and Sharon Sondes

The cocktail reception for this evening begins at 6:30 PM followed by dinner at 7:30PM. Support levels are as follows: Tables at $100,000, $50,000, $25,000, $15,000 and $10,000 and individual tickets at $2,500 and $1,000.

The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundationis a national, non-profit organization dedicated to curing spinal cord injury through the funding of innovative research and improving the quality of life for those living with paralysis through grants, information and advocacy. The organization was founded in 1982 as the American Paralysis Association by a group with the firm belief that through research and neuroscience, spinal cord injuries could be repaired and damaged nerves and cells could be regenerated.

Following his injury in 1995, Christopher Reeve became passionately involved with the organization, which is now known as the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation.

Francine LeFrak and Rick Friedberg

Alexandra Reeve and Garren Givens

Marjorie and Richard Schneidman with Glen Beyer

Joan Collins and Percy Gibson

Francine LeFrak, Henry Stifel, and Alexandra Reeve

Jeff Pfeifle, Alexandra Reeve, and Chiaki Imai

Dino Modolo and Chie Imai

Paul Stuart and Town & Country opened the doors of the Paul Stuart store on Madison Avenue for an exclusive cocktail party in honor of Suzanne and Bob Cochran and the benefit committee of the Central Park Conservancy's Halloween Ball.

The "Visions"-themed Halloween Ball, on Wednesday, October 24, will be a spirited black-tie evening in Central Park with dinner and dancing. A star-studded costume contest will be emceed by WABC's Lee Goldberg and judged by the enchanting Lauren Hutton and Sandra Lee.

Bob and Suzanne Cochran

Janis Best and A. Sandy Neiman

Over 600 guests, ghosts and goblins are expected. At the pre-party, tarot card readers predicted good fortune for guests at the Paul Stuart store, including the Cochrans, Gillian Miniter, Dawne Grannum, Paula and Donald Smith, Jim Taylor, Amy Rosi, Sandy Neiman, Janis Best, Peter Rosenthal, and Frank Jebba.

Gillian Miniter, Jim Taylor, and Suzanne Cochran

Kim Bates and Adriana Pidwerbetsky

Nancy Paduano, Suzanne Cohran, Bob Cochran, and Dan Paduano

Jim Taylor, Amy Rosi, and Peter Rosenthal

Jim Taylor, Suzanne Cochran, A. Sandy Neiman, Terri Coppersmith, and Paula Smith

Mona Reilly and Terri Coppersmith

Paola Isabella Rocha Tornito and Geena Rocel

Tarot card readings

They held the Nine Rivers Gala two Tuesdays ago at the Rubin Museum of Art on 150 West 17th Street with an evening of cocktails, award presentations, dinner and “dancing downriver.”

The Rubin Museum of art is the first museum of its kind in the Western world with a unique mission to establish, present, preserve and document permanent collection that reflects the vitality, complexity, and historical significance of Himalayan art. The RMA creates exhibitions and programs to explore connections with other world cultures.


	Shelley and Donald Rubin, Co-Founders, RMA, with William F. Baker, President, EBC

In its first two years of existence the RMA has attracted more than 300,000 visitors through its collection, exhibitions and educational programs.

For the Gala, the museum was filled with sights, sounds and textures of the Himalayas. The honorees were Dr. Muhammad Yunus and President Bill Clinton received the Mandala Award (Arts-Humanitarian) and Ishmael Beah receiving the Skye Award.

Co-chairs of the evening were Shelley Rubin, Harvey Sigelbaum and Kathy Sloane. Vice-chairs were Ravi Akhoury, Omar Amanat, Robert Baylis, Eva Haller, Robert Jain, Mary Lanier, Mark Norell, Daniel Schwartz, Sree Sreenivasan, Lyn D. Traverse. Honorary chairs were: William F. Baker, James Ivory, H.E. Ambassador Said T. Jawad of Afghanistan, Bob Kerrey, William H. Luers, H.E. Mr. Daw Penjo of the Kingdom of Bhutan, Matthieu Ricard, Sir Salman Rushdie, Susan Sarandon, Martin Scorsese, Martin Segal, Diane von Furstenberg, Bill Viola, Elie Wiesel.

Bill Baker and Salman Rushdie with a friend

His Holiness 33rd Menri Trizin, Lungtok Tenpai Nyima, worldwide leader of Bon Monastery

The Very Reverend James Parks Morton, RMA Trustee, with Shelley Rubin, Co-founder, RMA

Ishmael Beah

Professor Robert A. F. Thurman and Mary Lanier, RMA Trustee

Monks play Tibetan longhorns to herald the beginning of the awards presentation

Moushumi Khan accepting RMA Mandala Award on behalf of Dr. Muhammad Yunus

Kathy Sloane and Martha Stewart

Marion and Elie Weisel

Martha Stewart and Petra Nemcova

Shelley and Donald Rubin, Co-founders, RMA

Staircase at the Rubin Museum of Art

Professor Robert A.F. Thurman and Nena Thurman

Cocktails and conversation

Actress Liv Ullman enjoying dinner in the RMA galleries with guests

Last Thursday night St. John hosted a cocktail reception in celebration of St. John’s Collection for a Cause, benefiting the Susan G. Komen for the Cure charity at the St. John Boutique at 665 Fifth Avenue.


	Stephanie Fleno and Philip Miller

St. John partnered with Susan G. Komen for the Cure to aid in the fight against breast cancer. St. John created a special collection to benefit the charity, consisting of eight looks from Collection, Evening, and Sport.

Inspired by the symbolic pink ribbon, the collection features a soft palette of light confetti pink paired with classic black and is being sold exclusively a the St. John Boutiques.

On hand for the evening were St. John co-founder Marie Gray, St. John CEO Glenn McMahon; Susan G. Komen’s President and CEO Hala Moddelmog, Jeanine Pirro; President and CEO of Rolex USA Allan Brill, Bronson Van Wyck, Veronica (Mrs. Ray) Kelly and many others.

Ben Rosenthal and Kim Meyer

Brooke Townsend and Pauline Cavalli

Cat Lindsay and John Newman

Kelly Gray, Glenn McMahon, Marie Gray, and Matthew Gray

Elif Gezgec, Jaclyn Burney, Jessie Merrill, and Tara Eversoll

Jeanine Pirro

Veronica Kelly

Sandy Kozlowski and Ashli Rosenthal

Bronson Van Wyck and Andrew Fry

Sheila Barnes, James Myers, and Ampara Davis

Ann and Bill Van Ness hosted a cocktail party to toast the honorees, co-chairmen and committees of Career Transition for Dancers upcoming Jubilee Gala “Dance Rocks” at City Center on October 29. Truly one of the most spectacular entertainment events of the year, the gala is always a sellout.

In keeping with the gala theme , 22nd Anniversary co-chair Patricia Kennedy arrived in rock star style in Mitzi Perdue’s custom designed Stealth Van that was so high one could stand up in the Persian carpeted interior, complete with luxe leather reclining seats, two flat screen TVs and a bar that could have served the 150 guests at the Van Ness soiree. Even 6 ft 8’ Tommy Tune could stretch out in the spacious vehicle - and he did.


	Bebe Neuwirth and Ann Marie de Angelo

	Michael Salem and Edward Callaghan

Mitzi, widow of Frank Perdue, travels up from their Maryland farm at least once a week to go to the theatre and loves piling her pals into the silver custom Mercedes and serving little Binto boxes of sushi to take the edge off everyone’s appetite.

Present at the party: co-chair Allen Brill, CEO & President of ROLEX USA; this year’s honorees Anka K. Palitz, The Jerome Robbins Foundation and two time Tony Award winner Bebe Neuwirth who will receive The Rolex Award at the gala.

This year’s Honorary Jubilee chair is Priscilla Presley. The Honorary Chairs are Cynthia Gregory, Donna McKechnie, Kevin McKenzie, Jane Powell, Ann Reinking, Chita Rivera and Ethan Stiefel. Gala Chairs: Yolanda Santos Garza and Peg Ranieri. Vice Chairs are Deb Agam, Jami Baldwin, Mercedes Ellington, Alexander Dubé, Allen Greenberg, Victoria Herbert, Johanna Judah, Greg Kriser, Mitzi Perdue, Nancy Ellison Rollnick and William Rollnick, Daniel Stern, Heléne Alexopoulos Warrick and Laura Zeckendorf. Artistic Chair is Ann Marie DeAngelo. The Dinner Chair is Janice Becker; Auction Chair is Ann Van Ness; West Coast Chair is Roberta Silbert and Journal Chairs are David Goldring and Michael Weiskopf.

Directed and produced by the multi talented Ann Marie De Angelo, the gala will feature Charlotte d'Amboise, Christine Ebersole, Melissa Manchester, Tommy Tune, Benji Schwimmer (winner of thehit TV show ‘So You Think You Can Dance’)and special appearances and performances by and artists from American Ballet Theatre, Atlanta Ballet, Ballet San Jose, Dance Theatre of Harlem's Dancing Through Barriers Ensemble, Dancing Wheels, DP ONE, Miguel Frasconi, The Joffrey Ballet, KR3T’S, Kathleen Marshall, Elizabeth Parkinson, Parsons Dance Company, Keith Roberts, John Selya, Jason Samuels Smith, Mr. Wiggles, Wylliams/Henry Danse Theatre and more surprise guests.

Also attending the cocktail: Laurence S. Krashes, Eddie Deutsch, Nicholas Varney, Jane Powell with husband Dick Moore, Mildred Brinn, Elaine Brody, including Francesca di Gosia, Bruce Michael, Amy Lehman, Sonja Rand and Anthony Kane.