The State of the Debutantes

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Choreographer Kerenza and dancers on the Ballroom floor

Ballet dancers at the Viennese Opera Ball

With visions dancing in my head of the salons in turn-of-century Vienna (19th to the 20th) hosted by the flamboyant Alma Mahler (wife of the Gustav Mahler), where the intelligentsia mingled with the artistic, royalty with society — frequented by the likes of revolutionary painter Gustav Klimt, architect Walter Gropius, and writer Franz Werfel, I attended the beautiful 53rd consecutive Viennese Opera Ball, held under the aegis of the U.S.-Austrian Chamber of Commerce, last Friday night at the Waldorf Astoria.

Hosted by WNBC News Anchor Chuck Scarborough, Actor Stephen Baldwin and Model/Author Carol Alt, the Ball benefitted the international humanitarian CARE organization, and presented a nostalgic glimpse of more civil, lovelier times. Dignitaries, diplomats and debutantes marched grandly, led by a dappled gray horse-drawn carriage, viewed Josef Bayer's "Die Puppenfee (debuting 120 years ago in Vienna), providing an apparition-like dreamy quality, in long flowing white gowns, debs performed Quadrilles and Waltzed to the lyrical sounds of Strauss and Mozart, all conducted by Peter Duchin and his Orchestra.

In attendance were MGM dance legend Marge Champion, Austria's US Ambassador, Eva Nowotny, UN Ambassador Gerhard Pfanzelter, Jordan's Ambassador Prince Zeid Ra, among a legion of other Ambassadors, as well as Riyo Mori (Miss Universe), and Hilary Cruz (Miss Teen USA).

The brilliantly colored bejeweled guests as well as the magical rose-festooned ballroom almost presented a contrasting respite from the bleak, gray recession-infused, political-angst of the streets of today’s Manhattan.

-- Jill Lynne

Dance Legend Marge Champion and Theodore R. Sayers

Austria's UN Ambassador Gerhard Pfanzelter and Mrs. Andrea Pfanzelter

Choreographer Kerenza on the Horse drawn carriage

Marge Champion with Manuel Rojas

Princess Sarah Zeid with husband H.R.H. Prince Zeid Ra'ad

Deb sisters Alexa and Coco Haas with the West Point Cadets

Procession of the VOB 2008 debutantes and escorts

Kennya and Stephen Baldwin

Carol Alt and Stephen Baldwin, co-hosts of VOB 2008

Alan Z. Feuer, Kate Gardner, and F. Dieter Beintrex

Theodore R. Sayers and Barbara Fox Lady Bordiga

Singers from The Met Opera perform on the Ballroom floor

Presentation of the Debs of VOB 2008

Chuck Scarborough and Miss Universe, Riyo Mori

Kate Gardner and Alan Z. Feier

VOB Ballroom atmosphere

Marcie Ridell and Executive Director of VOB Heinz Heidenreich

Portuguese Ambassador to UN Joao Salgueiro with UN Ambassador Gerhard Pfanzelter and Mrs. Andrea Pfanzelter

Riyo Mori, Francine LeFrak, and Miss Teen USA, Hilary Cruz

Judy Jonas, Stephen Baldwin, and 911 fireman hero Jay Jonas

Robert H. Scarborough, 3rd, dad of VOB debs Julia and Dee Dee Scarborough

VOB 2008 Deb's dance

This was an interesting party to observe for this reporter because it was a broad combination of social types in New York. There were about 100 guests, almost all New Yorkers. Many of them wouldn’t regard themselves as “social” types and they would be right. Technically speaking. Others definitely are/were. Others were “media” types, specifically media professionals as well as contributors (writers/analysts, etc.). And also professional politicos (like Cory Booker, the Mayor of Newark, New Jersey). As juxtaposed by the flame-tressed cosmetics tycoon and hostess with the mostest Georgette Mosbacher. It was not quite what you’d call intellectual of course, but among the crowd were several who could be, or are regarded as intellectual. And others who are opinion-makers (and sometimes aggressively so, which is how things work best in this town).

The hosts and hostess are all well-liked and respected in the community. Mr. and Mrs. Curry are very social and very popular. They are young, attractive, smart and nice. Really; the latter being a winning ingredient (meaning, that’s how they treat everybody). And maybe because of that, despite the different “types” that I’ve referred to, it remained a very well melded social evening in New York. With the theme of political commentary.

Richard Johnson of the Post’s Page Six, who was there, wrote yesterday that it was mainly a group of Democrats (which could be translated loosely as “liberals”) and very few members of the GOP. That may be, however, I don’t think anyone of either political persuasion was the least bit uncomfortable because that is the essence of modern New York social life, and this party reflected that authentically. And so it was fun, and interesting, with additional stature provided by the austere grandeur of the Plaza Hotel ballroom in candlelight. And then of course there was the State of the Union speech of Mr. Bush — his final, which made it noteworthy if otherwise unremarkable in content.

Anna Bingaman and Griffin Dunne

Beth Curry, Ravenel Curry, Celerie Kemble, and Boykin Curry

Jim Fallows

Alexandra Kerry, Ted Roosevelt, and Serena Torrey

Susan Patricof, Morton Janklow, Linda Janklow, and Ross Bleckner

Ashley McDermott and Mariska Hargitay

Beth Curry, Celerie Kemble, and Rebecca McDonald

Boykin Curry and Justin Smith

Frederic Fekkai, Jurate Savickas, and Gil Friesen

Bronson van Wyck, Serena Torrey, and Andrew Fry

Cathy Graham, Shelley Wanger, and Linda Janklow

Jurate Savickas and Roger Altman

Richard Johnson, Georgette Mosbacher, and Roger Cohen

Ted Roosevelt IV, Connie Roosevelt, and Ted Roosevelt

Tina Brown and Harry Evans

Another successful year for the Winter Antiques Show Junior Collectors’ Night at The Park Avenue Armory was held last Thursday night, followed by an after party at Doubles thrown by the Junior Committee of Doubles. The annual show benefits the East Side House Settlement.

Guests included: Andrew and Kate Earls, Lauren Muzinich, Chris Lentz, Lindsay Andrews, Chris Spitzmiler, Natalie Leventhal, Andrew Black, Ellie Berlin, Dani Wandersee, John Levert, Sarah Reilly, Rachel Roberts, Anna Gavazzi, Lauren Armstrong, Corline Herald, Devorah Rose, Melissa Berkelhammer, Amy Singer, Mora Bryan, Joy Marks, Mitch and Kate Krieger, Darcy Jones, Jessica Edery, Alexandra Karabell, Lauren Worthington, Robert Morse, Tana and Bill Dye, Joyanne and Geaorge Baker, Jules Simmons, Leah and Ross Thompson, Jana Bassman, Mark and Leslie Hull, Sarah Morse, Kelley Carter, Julia Noran, Catherine Davis, Tatiana Papincolaou, Georgina Schaeffer, Harry Le Frak, Thorne Perkin, George Baker, J.B. Wilson, Beth Colleton, Elijah Duckworth-Schachter, Lara Meiland-Shaw, Lisa Fireston, Lisa Bitther, Catherine Shapiro, Christopher Lentz, Marina Dayton, Marisa Tomenson, Marissa and Michael O’Neal, Carrie Cloud, Ted Geary, Nicole Hanley, Annabel Vartanian, Kristian Laliberte, Ryan Jones, Be Inthavong, Elizabeth Meigher, and Edward Barsamian.