B.D. Wong, Isaiah Sheffer, Symphony Space Artistic Director, Cynthia Elliott, Symphony Space Executive Director, Malachy McCourt, and Gala Co-Chair Marcia Santoni with Honoree Morgan Freeman

On Monday, March 10 at Gotham Hall, Symphony Space honored artists and friends who have made Symphony Space one of New York’s finest performing arts centers: premier dancer, choreographer and co-founder of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Carmen de Lavallade; award-winning stage and screen actor, producer and director Morgan Freeman; award-winning stage and screen actor and author John Lithgow; and Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, one of New York’s preeminent law firms. The gala was hosted by Joanna Gleason and Symphony Space founder and Artistic Director Isaiah Sheffer. Proceeds will be used to provide crucial support for Symphony Space’s performing arts and education programming.

Isaiah Sheffer and Co-host Joanna Gleason

Gala Honorees Morgan Freeman, Carmen de Lavallade, Martin Frederic Evans (Debevoise & Plimpton LLP) and John Lithgow

Isaiah Sheffer and Geraldine Nager Griffin, Vice President of Sotheby’s

The evening was chaired by Symphony Space Board member Marcia Santoni and her husband, John Morris, Managing Director and Senior Analyst, Wachovia Securities. Event highlights included performances and presentations by Joanna Gleason, Desmond Richardson, Co-Artistic Director, COMPLEXIONS Contemporary Ballet;  KT Sullivan, and B.D. Wong. Geraldine Nager Griffin, Senior Vice President of Sotheby’s, conducted the live auction. For 30 years, Symphony Space has been producing and presenting artistically and culturally diverse music, dance, literary, theatre, family, and film programs that bring artists and audiences together in an atmosphere of exploration and intimacy. Symphony Space’s Executive Director is Cynthia Elliott.

Melvin Dwork, John Butler Dance Foundation; Geoffrey Holder

Anne and Robert Sloane

Judith Church, Tamsen Granger, Daniel Abuhoff, Andrew Spencer, Margaret Evans, and Rick Evans

Morgan Freeman and Annie Kallaher

Carole Artigiani, Dr. Robert A. Scott, Adelphi University, Nicholas Petron, and Sybil Sage

Stanley Zabar and Saul Zabar

Morgan Freeman and his granddaughter Edena Hines with Desmond Richardson, COMPLEXIONS Contemporary Ballet

Abdo Ballester and Board member Elizabeth Richebourg Rea of the Dungannon Foundation

Charles McKinney, Lori Zabar and Stanley Zabar

Morgan Freeman, Carmen de Lavallade, and John Lithgow

Eileen Jachym, Christopher Dixon and Barbara Dixon

Larry Aidem, CEO Sundance

John Lithgow and Phoebe Lithgow

Cornelia Small, Peter Borowitz, Talanat Lapid, and Jon Small

Frank duPont and Cynthia Elliott

The Society of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center’s Associates Committee hosted their 17th Annual Bunny Hop at FAO Schwarz this past Tuesday with the committee welcoming over 1,000 guests for an evening of entertainment, which raised over $350,000 to benefit the Department of Pediatrics at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.  Fashion designer Lilly Pulitzer, who provided colorful attire from her new spring collection for the Co-chairs, their children and event staff, sponsored the event. Additional sponsors of the event included The Laurel Condominium, Commerce Bank, and UBS Financial Services, Inc.   Children and their families were welcomed by Peter the Rabbit, Winnie the Pooh, Corduroy, Clifford the Big Red Dog, Harry Potter and the “Doctors of Humorology” from The Big Apple Circus Clown Care, a program that brings artists from the circus to visit sick children in hospitals across the country. Among the guests greeted at the VIB (Very Important Bunny) entrance were the Associates Committee Chairman Christina Addison with her daughter Carolina, Lisa Errico and Elizabeth Fuller with son Jack and daughter Olivia, Vice Chairmen Celeste Boele, Annabelle Fowlkes, Lynn Morris and Maria Villalba with daughters Victoria and Isabel and son Charles, Melania and Donald Trump with son Barron, Jennifer Creel and son Lowell, Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos with sons Nicholas and Peter and daughter Sophia, Pamela Gross and son Alexander, Shosanna and Josh Gruss with daughter Sienna, Marjorie Gubelmann and son Cyrus, Muffie Potter Aston with her twins Bracie and Ashleigh, Wendy Carduner, Richard Johnson and Sessa von Richthofen with daughter Alessandra, Michelle Marie and Jon Heinemann with son Hudson, repeat volunteer Ally Hilfiger, Mary Snow with daughter Annabell, Kristina Stewart-Ward, Carol and Jim Bradbeer, President of Lilly Pulitzer, with son Tom, SMSKCC president Leslie Jones, Mark Smith,Lisa Selby with daughter Patsy, Catherine Carey with sons Paul and Bryan, Heather Mnuchin with daughter Dylan and son John, and DwellStudio’s Josh Young.

Lisa Selby with daughter Patsy

Catherine Carey with sons Paul and Bryan

There was also a live performance from the Little Maestros who entertained, singing songs and blowing bubbles, topped off by The Stinky Pinky show, which had children erupting in laughter. Olivier Cheng Catering and Events served up delicious treats and edible fun including mini burgers and bunny shaped grilled cheese, a cupcake and cookie decorating station, and even candy necklace making.  David Beahm’s colorful and youthful designs, including a two-story-tall bunny, covered the first and second floors.  Memorial Sloan-Kettering is the world’s oldest and largest private institution dedicated to the prevention, detection, and control and cure of cancer.  The Associate Committee was founded in 1984 as part of The Society of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.  The committee’s purpose is to introduce a younger generation to the volunteer and philanthropic activities of The Society and to raise funds for the Center.

Miryam Barrett and daughter Sara with Kate Kenny

Heather Mnuchin with daughter Dylan and son John

R. Couri Hay and Wendy Carduner

Donald and Melania Trump with son Barron

Mark Smith and Brooke Goldstein

Leslie Jones, Elizabeth Fuller, Lisa Errico, Christina Addison

Jim and Carol Bradbeer with son Tom

Christina Addison with daughter Carolina

Shoshanna Gruss

Kristina Stewart-Ward, Arthur Ward and Tripp and Arthur

Pamela Gross with son Alexander

Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos with sons Nicholas and Peter

Richard Johnson, Sessa von Richthofen, and Niki Beels with daughter Alessandra

Maria and Jerome Villalba with daughters Victoria and Isabel and son Charles

Jennifer Creel with son Lowell and Avery Coleman

Muffie Potter Aston with twins Bracie and Ashleigh and Roger Webster

Mary Snow with daughter Annabell and Marjorie Gubelmann with son Cyrus

The James Beard Foundation Greens celebrated the75th anniversary of the Repeal of Prohibition at the historic and charming Black Duck restaurant on 28th Street between Park and Lex. The Black Duck is named after a notorious rumrunner, a 50-foot wooden ship built for speed and painted black to disappear into the night. It was known for its involvement in an incident that helped end Prohibition in the U.S. in 1933.

Kristin Shevis, Alexandra Ontra, and Vijay Kumar

Megan Prendergast, Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi, and Shivaun Prendergast

Franck Sarra-Bezolles and Jason Johnson

Jerry Stroud, Pat Hovey, Alexis Hovey, and Jinny Jun

Michael Glass and Elena Derkits

Bartender preparing specialty Sidecar

Rachel Kirwin and Tim Irons

Jill Wolans, Mixologist David Wondrich, and Purdy Baumann

Siobhan Flaherty Haber and Black Duck Manager Richard Schloss

Alex Traviso, Yves Picot, and Alexander Duff

Lisa Lloyd, Chana Ewing, and Krystal Coddett

Photographs by Ric Kallaher (Symphony Space); PatrickMcMullan.com (Bunny & Black Duck).

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