Saluting Tom Cruise

Chasing Tom Cruise outside Cipriani 42nd Street. 7:30 PM. Photo: JH.

Yesterday was a chilly, sunny autumn day in New York. We are now in the thick of the social season which will continue heating up until about the third week in December when the holidays enter the fray.

Luncheons. On this Monday past, the School of American Ballet held a “kick-off” Founder’s Committee Luncheon at Doubles hosted by Coco Kopelman, Elizabeth Miller, Gillian Miniter and Liz Peek. The main course was a turkey pot pie with baked stuffing substituting for the pastry crust. Delicious. Wendy Carduner, the maitresse de Doubles came up from behind and whispered the magic words in my ear: “Do you want seconds?” Yes. You would too.

Coco Kopelman, Nicolas Luchsinger, Liz Peek, and Gillian Miniter

This kick-off was to anticipate the School of American Ballet’s Winter Ball which will be held next March 3rd. I think everybody in the room except for me was on the committee to make this a great success. Nicolas Luchsinger from Van Cleef & Arpels was also there. Van Cleef is sponsoring the event. Cameron Dieck, an SAB graduate who’s now apprenticing with the New York City Ballet, gave a little talk explaining what it’s like to be a student at the SAB. Hard work, discipline, commitment, focus and results. Every educator’s dream is what the School of American Ballet achieves.

Gillian Miniter, Fe Fendi, and Jennifer Yaffa

Silsbee Philo and Sallie Abelow

Teresa Teague, Nancy Paduano, and Elyse Newhouse

Jeanne Lawrence and Sheila Stephenson

Laurieanne Murphy and Betsy Pitts

Sarah Wolfe, Liz Peek, and Cindy Sites

Gabriella Baron and Duane Hampton

Margo Blutt and Laura Zeckendorf

Serena Lese and Carrie Hinrichs

Jocelyn Markowitz and Diane King

Celeste Boele, Kristin Clark, and Carole Divet Harting

Marjorie Van Dercook and Cameron Dieck (SAB student)

More lunch. Yesterday at Michael’s, I was late for my lunch date thanks to the midtown traffic. Crosstown streets, thanks to the combination of construction, double-parked trucks and “No-Turns” policy, are a nightmare of traffic jams and delays. Many taxi drivers call them the “Bloomberg Streets” because the rules were instituted under the current mayor. Fifty-fifth Street from Second Avenue to Fifth Avenue can be a forty minute ride from mid-day through mid-evening. You can always get out and walk. Finally I did yesterday, at Madison. Two more blocks to Michael’s and I discovered my lunchdate had flown the coop, sicka-waiting. Who could blame him.

Lunch at Michael's (clockwise from top left): Sharon Hoge and Barbara Liberman; Peggy Siegal, Joan Kron, and Lynn Beckerman; Shirin Fekkai, Sandy Hill, and Beth DeWoody; Rossano Rubicondi, Ivana Trump, and Vittorio; Carolyne Roehm and Blaine Trump.

Michael’s was full up to the rafters. I was invited by some sympathetic lunchers to join the table where Sharon Hoge was entertaining her old friend Sandy Hill who is busy these days promoting her new book “Fandango” (more about this later in the week).

Guestlist: Carolyne Roehm, Blaine Trump, Shirin Fekkai, Peggy Siegal, Barbara Liberman, Joan Kron, Lynn Beckerman, this reporter and our hostess, Ms. Hoge. Naturally, with the digital in hand, I couldn’t resist.

The centerpiece at Sandy Hill's luncheon.

After my main course I thanked my hostess and excused myself. On my way out, I spotted another former Mrs. Trump, Ivana, lunching with her fiancée Rosanno Rubicondi, and a friend named Vittorio.

One table over, in the bay, “The Mayor of Michael’s” Joe Armstrong was entertaining Mel Brooks, Susan Stroman, Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman (Mr. and Mrs. in real life); William Ivey Long and Roger Bart. The occasion: a little repast before the Thursday opening of Mr. Brooks’ “Young Frankenstein,” directed by Ms. Stroman, with costumes by the endlessly imaginative Mr. Long and starring Mr. Bart who plays Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, and Ms. Mullally.

Sitting: Joe Armstrong, Susan Stroman, Mel Brooks, and Roger Bart. Standing: Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally, and William Ivey Long.

Between, Ms. Stroman and Mr. Brooks, they won 12 Tonys for “The Producers,” including Best Direction and Best Choreography. Much is expected in this second Brooks original film to be turned into a Broadway musical. Much is expected, and the talk along Broadway is that it’s “a gigantic show and max fun.” An much is delivered.

Last night I was back out on the midtown crowded with traffic streets to go down to MoMA where Mercedes Bass was giving a large cocktail reception for her old friend John Richardson and the publication of his third volume of his biography, A Life of Picasso.


	Mercedes Bass and John Richardson

John Richardson has long been considered one of the most brilliant conversationalists, anecdotists and wits In New York, or anywhere else, for that matter. He has been a favorite of society hostesses since he first set foot in Manhattan more than forty years ago. Besides that, as an art historian, he’s the only one I’ve ever read who has the ability to explain art history and transition in a way that is comprehensible to even the uncomprehending like this writer.

In his young adulthood, Richardson also had the advantage of knowing Pablo Picasso over a period of years. Evidently the two men got on well, Picasso having recognized the young man’s erudition and curiosity, and the young man’s appreciating the artist’s genius. As a result, all these years later, because of his visceral sense of the artist, the now octogenarian author is possibly the only man who can explain Picasso’s art and at the same time keep you transfixed in telling the tale that was Picasso’s life.

Mrs. Bass’ guestlist tells you a little something about the author’s friends and admirers: Rosamund Bernier, Oscar and Annette de la Renta, SI Newhouse, David and Shelley Wanger Mortimer (Mrs. Mortimer is Mr. Richardson’s editor), Mr. and Mrs. Bob Kerrey, Fran Lebowitz, Judy Ney, Mr. and Mrs. Philip Howard, Lauren Hutton, Brad Gooch, Georgette Mosbacher, Susan Minot, Tony Kushner, Kenneth Jay Lane, Freddie and Virginia Melhado, Mr. and Mrs. George Livanos, Lorne Michaels, Steve Martin, Sonny Mehta, Jamie Niven, Mike Nichols and Diane Sawyer, Doug Cramer, Lee Radziwill, Bill Rondina and Giovanni LoFaro, Richard Gere and Car Lowell, Harold Evans and Tina Brown, Princess Firyal of Jordan, Tama Janowitz, Pierre Durand, Ben Elliot, Mary McFadden, Lynn Nesbit, Shirley Lord Rosenthal, Evelyn and Leonard Lauder, Pat Patterson, Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia, Linda Wachner, Peggy Siegal, Ivana Lowell, Christopher Mason, Marc Glimscher, Larry Gagosian, Christopher de Menil, Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Kovner, Peter Brown, Amanda Burden, Jason Epstein and Judy Miller, Tom and Meredith Brokaw, Dominick Dunne, Pauline Pitt, Charles Michener, Brooke and Peter Duchin, and on and on into the glittering, literary night.

Karen Lerner

Kenny Lane and Pat Patterson

Marlene Hess, Glenn Lowry, and Sydney Shuman

Calvin Trillin

Brooke and Peter Duchin

Sid Bass

Judy Ney with Freddie and Virginia Melhado

Gil Shiva, Princess Firyal of Jordan, Nicole Seligman, and Joel Klein

Nancy Ellison and Bill Rollnick with Peggy Siegal

Lynn Nesbit and Joe Volpe

Shelley Wanger Mortimer and friend

Alexandra and Philip Howard with Liz Mezzacappa

Sharon Hoge

Brooke Duchin, Bil Rondina, Peter Duchin, and Giovanni LoFaro

From MoMA, I hitched a ride with Peggy Siegal, who was looking very very chic and elegant in her Oscar, to go over to Cipriani 42nd Street where the Museum of the Moving Image was saluting Tom Cruise.

This had to be the most glamorous party in New York last night. Dinner co-chairs were Linda and Jerry Bruckheimer, Megan and Peter Chernin, Kelly and Ron Meyer, Carolie Charriol Paul and Dennis Paul, Dan and Tanya Snyder, Paula Wagner (Tom’s business partner) and Rick Nicita. The evening’s presenters were Kenneth Branagh, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Barry Levinson, Julianne Moore, Michael Pena, Tim Robbins, Oliver Stone, and Paula Wagner.

The museum’s chairman Herb Schlosser welcomed the guests. Dinner was served. During this time, there was much activity at the Cruise table with lots of people making their way over to greet him. His immediate dinner partners were Ron Howard and Mrs. Cruise, Katie Holmes, (who also distinguished herself locally by running in the New York Marathon this past Sunday). Ms. Holmes was wearing a long black backless velvet dress. She’s tall and willowy and carried off her couture with a simple, even modest elegance.

Tom and Katie mobbed by the crowd

One table over from them, I had the opportunity to watch. I’d only seen him in person once before, many years ago at the premiere of his film “The Color of Money” in Los Angeles. Off-camera he looked very young then, almost boyish; a slender but toned 5’8” or 5’9”. What was most memorable about that long ago evening was how gracious he was to anyone and everyone who approached his table.

This went on throughout the evening, and he never seemed to tire of the “attention.” All these years later, I watched a similar situation last night. He’s just a very gracious man, and at last being the big star that he now is, he was mobbed much of the time.

He probably didn’t get much to eat, if anything, but that didn’t seem to faze him. He still looks very young, even boyish, up close, and he’s very energetic. But the presence, the grace, is commanding. Several times he got up from his place at table to hug or put his arm around someone in thanks for their presence and kindness towards him. He clearly enjoys the opportunity to spread the good vibe, and the response he gets is utter awe and affection, from everyone including his adoring wife.

Tom ...

... and Katie

Tom with Rochelle Slovin, director of the Museum of the Moving Image, and children from the Young Women's Leadership School in Astoria

These evenings are movie fans’ heaven and the place was packed. Furthermore Tom Cruise’s phenomenon as a movie star is how much he is liked by his co-workers and associates, how much he is respected and admired and how much his millions and millions of fans just love to watch him. I can’t think of another actor, male or female, who evokes so much admiration and respect not only from his peers and colleagues, but from everybody who comes in contact with him.

After the main course, Rochelle Slovin, the museum’s Director, launched the program. It started out with each of the Presenters telling us something about the man they know and have worked with and then introducing a clip from one of his films. We saw something from “Born on the Fourth of July,” “Collateral,” “The Color of Money,” “Far and Away,” “A Few Good Men,” “Jerry Maguire,” “Lions for Lambs,” “Magnolia,” “Mission Impossible (I,II and III),” “Rain Man,” “Risky Business,” “Top Gun,” and “War of the Worlds.”

Again and again, the presenters talked about the man’s approach to his work – committed, enthusiastic, upbeat, patient, curious, enthusiastic, friendly with his fellow actors, eager to learn, enthusiastic. Directors love him for that. And let’s not forget the box office grosses. As they talked about him, he sat rapt with attention and amused by their anecdotes. Sometimes he and his wife held hands as they listened to the raptures he’s inspired in his fellow workers.

There was so much praise that it almost seemed a little much except, like those performances that he delivers to his audiences, the praise for him last night succeeds in confirming the opinion the audience has of the actor. Brilliantly likeable, believable and compelling. He’s a phenomenon. There’s probably no other star like him today.

L. to r.: Tim Robbins; Ellen Barkin and Julianne Moore; LeeLee Sobieski (Photos: Rob Rich).

After the encomiums and the tributes and the film clips, the star got up to accept his award and express his thanks. The speech, which was clearly a “speech” was a bit long and so smooth that it had the feeling of being memorized (he did not read anything). He talked about being the only son of a single mother, and how his first job was delivering newspapers and bringing home the money to help. When there were a few dollars left, they went for movie tickets.

It was there in the dark theaters that the dream was born for the boy who became the star (and a star early in his life) we were saluting last night. No matter how difficult, no matter the troubles, no matter the problems that the boy faced back then, there was always, he said, “hope.” And he reiterated that in terms for all of us to embrace. Hope got Thomas Cruise Mapother through the early rough times and hard times of his stellar existence, and the rest is up there on the screen for the world to enjoy. He’s quite a man, and maybe one for all seasons by the time the lights come up.