The New York Philharmonic opened its 165th season two weeks ago on a Wednesday night at Avery Fisher Hall.

Anne and Charles F. Niemeth

The evening began with a cocktail reception before the concert. Under the direction of Music Director Lorin Maazel, with Emanuel Ax and Yefim Bronfman at piano, the Philharmonic performed Mozart’s Concerto for Two Pianos in E-flat major, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, “Eroica.”

The chairmen for this year’s celebration were: Karen and Richard S. LeFrak, Heather and  Steven T. Mnuchin, Anne and Charles F. Niemeth, and Lally Weymouth. Co-chairs were Elizabeth and Thomas A. Renyi, and Mr. and Mrs. Joel E. Smilow. 
 
Among the notable guests were Barbara Walters, Diane and Paul Guenther (NY Philharmonic chairman), Dr. John Baldwin and CeCe Cord, Mercedes and Sid Bass, Joanne and Roberto de Guardiola, Katherine Farley and Jerry I. Speyer, Audrey and Martin Gruss, Marjorie and Gurnee F. Hart, Mr. and Mrs. Carl Icahn, Evelyn and Leonard Lauder, Carol and Jerry Levin, Daisy and Paul Soros, and Paula and Leon Root.

Moira Forbes Mumma hosted an event marking the 15th anniversary of her non-profit The Community Coalition in the Galleries at Forbes Magazine. The evening featured a fashion show by Lilly Pulitzer, Dakota Martin, Nicole Romano, and Tiffany Koury and an auction emceed by former CNN Crossfire's Joe Watkins. Co-Hosts were Chad Burkhardt, Chris London, and Allison Weiss Brady. There were several faces familiar to the crowd making their runway debut at the fashion show including Event Co-Chairs Catherine I. Forbes, Allison Weiss Brady, and committee member Laura Essey.

Brady, a former Elite print and television model made her runway debut modeling a Lilly Pulitzer, which was sold and at auction to her husband Chip who thought she looked so ravishing in the dress that he bought as a surprise. Catherine Forbes made her modeling debut in a black Tiffany Koury which went for $1300 in the auction.

Last Monday night, Feinstein’s at the Regency welcomed Nancy Tabb Marcantel in her New York debut giving a benefit performance in celebration of the Animal Rescue Foundation and Labs4Rescue. All of the proceeds from the $250 ticket will aid in the rescue rehabilitation and placement of animals affected by Hurricanes Rita Katrina and Wilma.

Ms. Marcantel hails from the heart of Cajun Country in southwest Louisiana. Be it Cajun, country, pop, classical, Broadway or rhythm & blues, music has always been a big part of her life. In 2000 she released her first album, “Ma Louisiane,” the largest selling Cajun release up to its time. In the course of one short year, she recorded two albums, was featured in a French television documentary, made the cover of the New Orleans Times Picayune Dixie magazine, played every major festival in Louisiana, and ended with the grand finale of singing on the Seine River in Paris over the national French radio network!

Michael Feinstein

However, there is another side to this woman’s life that affects many many other lives in need. As president of the Animal Rescue Foundation of Louisiana (ARFLA) Nancy has dedicated a large part of her life to saving the lives of abandoned or unwanted animals. This organization is committed to rescuing, obtaining necessary veterinary care and placing animals in loving, responsible homes. Since the hurricanes wrecked havoc on the southern states, Nancy has rescued numerous animals and taken some into her own home.

Labs4Rescue is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing and finding permanent loving homes for abandoned or displaced Labrador Retrievers and Labrador Mixes. These dogs have long been over-bred in the South and Midwest. As a result of this over-population, many purebred Labs and Lab mixes end up in “high-kill” shelters, where they are only available for adoption for a few days before being euthanized. Labs4Rescue is responsible for placing over 850 Louisiana dogs in loving homes over this past year alone.

Also appearing last Monday night with Ms. Marcantel was a very special guest, Nola, one of the many hurricane victims rescued and brought to New York. Great efforts were made to get her out of New Orleans and then to evacuate her again from Lake Charles as the second hurricane approached. Eventually she ended up in the care of Dr. Jen Bonczinski, an orthopedic surgeon at the Animal Medical Center here in New York. After her recovery process, Nola was adopted by Dr. Bonczinski and her husband Jean-Paul Petrie.

The evening was produced by Mindy Franklin Levine, wife of the Yankees President Randy Levine. Michael Feinstein hosted and presented a Proclamation from Mayor Bloomberg’s Office declaring September 25 Labs4rescue and Animal Rescue Foundation of Louisiana Day in New York.

There was also a special surprise for Carmen Berra, the wife of legendary Yankee catcher Yogi Berra by Haley Swindal, granddaughter of Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, who led the audience in singing “Happy Birthday” to Mrs. Berra.

The evening marked the one year anniversary of the day Hurricane Rita hit landfall on the Gulf Coast, three weeks before Hurricane Katrina.

Executive Chef John Iachetti of the Regency Hotel prepared an authentic Cajun/Bijou menu beginning with cocktails of the famous New Orleans “Hurricane” drink and authentic Mint Julieps. Dinner included Cajun style sauté of crawfish, Creole crabmeat dip, boiled jumbo Shrimp, Fried catfish, Cajun Jambalaya and dirty rice dressing. Brandon Guidry, son of Yankee baseball legend Ron Guidry, supplied special secret Guidry family recipes of Chicken and Sausage Gumbo that Iachetti served to crowd as well as Bonnie Guidry’s (Ron’s wife) famous recipe for New Orleans Bread Pudding, along with Pecan Pier tarts.

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