Social Diary 9/16/04 - San Francisco Social Diary

San Francisco Summer

The Saloon stayed open late at the Shansby's Cowboy Party in Sonoma.

Every summer while most Manhattanites are heading out of town (those who do, that is) for the Hamptons or the Vineyard or Nantucket or Aspen or Connecticut, or the coast of Maine, our special NYSD correspondent Jeanne Lawrence heads for Nob Hill, San Francisco where she keeps a pied-a-terre with its breathtaking views of the Bay and from where she can hear the familiar sounds of the cable car bells and the chimes of Grace Cathedral.

The following is the first of two parts of San Francisco summer that she did for us. The second part runs next week.

San Francisco Summer

Beach Blanket Babylon celebrated its 30th Anniversary

Oh, San Franciscans know how to have a good time. The musical extravaganza Beach Blanket Babylon just celebrated its 30th anniversary at Club Fugazi in North Beach.

Created by the late Steve Silver in 1974, it claims to be the nation’s longest running musical revue in history. Jo Schuman Silver, Steve’s widow and producer, has carried on his dream and more than 4.5 million have enjoyed it.

Beach Blanket Babylon is a “zany 90 minute revue whose story line is of Snow White searching for love. It’s a hilarious spoof of pop-culture characters including Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Paris Hilton, Jennifer Lopez, George W. Bush, Elvis Presley, and the Beatles to name a few, with spectacular costumes and outrageous gigantic hats and one show-stopping number after another.”

In celebration of its anniversary, over $400,000 was donated to arts organizations including San Francisco’s Ballet, Opera, and Symphony.

Those who came for some fun were Mayor Gavin Newsom and his stunning wife Kimberly Guilfoyle Newsom. Did you see the glamorous photos of them in Harpers’ Bazaar September issue?

San Franciscans included arts supporters Ann and Gordon Getty, Michael Tilson Thomas (Music Director of the Symphony), Pamela Rosenberg (General Director of the Opera), Mark and Susie Buell (she co-founded ESPRIT clothing), Symphony President John Goldman and wife Marcia, author Danielle Steel, philanthropist Ellen and Walter Newman, comedienne Val Diamond, and former Secretary of State George Shultz with wife Charlotte Mailliard Shultz - Currently Chief of Protocol for San Francisco and the State of California. New York music producer Clive Davis (Jo Silver’s cousin), flew in for the festivities, as did Mezzo-Soprano Frederica von Stade.

You can read more about Jo Schuman Silver in the September issue of W magazine: “She’s a favorite of San Francisco society, but Jo Silver also runs the biggest little stage show in town.”

Ellen and Walter Newman

John and Marcia Goldman

Mark and Susie Tompkins Buell

Danielle Steele and George Shultz

Gordon and Ann Getty with Clive Davis

Ann Getty

Gordon Getty

Charlotte and George Shultz

Charlotte Shultz

Frederica von Stade

Christy McIntosh as Snow White and Renée Lubin as Glinda the Good

Val Diamond with Michael Tilson Thomas and Michael Tilson Thomas with Shaynah

Denise Hale, Mark Leno, and Jo Schuman Silver

Mayor Gavin Newsom, Clive Davis, and Kimberly Guilfoyle

George and Charlotte Shultz with Pamela Rosenberg

Clive Davis and Jo Schuman Silver

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A Saturday Evening for San Franciscans - The Shansby’s Hoe Down in Sonoma

Shanel Stables

Find your table

Hosts Gary and OJ Shansby

OJ and Gary Shansby gave a Wild West party in their Italian inspired Villa Shanel on a mountaintop in Sonoma with 360-degree vistas. Their friends thought Shanel was a play on words of Chanel, which fashionable OJ loves wearing, but actually it’s a Sonoma Indian Tribe’s name.

Gary Shansby, a private investor, manages 51 companies, including Vitamin Water, one of the fastest growing bottled water brands, and Mauna Loa Macadamia Nuts. Oh, these Californians are so health conscious. OJ’s favorite philanthropies, at the moment, are the San Francisco Ballet and the Fine Arts Museum.

It was an A-list party and heavy with politicos like former Governor of California and former Mayor of San Diego Pete Wilson with wife Gayle, House Minority Whip Nancy Pelosi with husband Paul Pelosi, Gretchen and Ambassador Howard Leach, and California Chief Justice Ron George and his wife, Barbara.

The menu

The shindig took place in the horse stables – we should live so well – decorated with bales of hay and sunflowers. The tables were set up in the stalls with names like “Gene Autry,” “Jesse James,” “Roy Rogers” and “Dale Evans.”

The menu, served family style, included hush puppies, spit-roasted pig, steak branded with an S, and a buffet desert of fresh strawberry shortcake and S’mores melted in the campfire. Naturally western music and line dancing kept the crowd hopping.