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A
sneak peek of the new Museum of Modern Art, and its Sculpture
Garden (below). 8:15
PM. Photos: JH.
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All
kinds of things going on all over town. Up at the American
Museum of Natural
History on Central Park West they were holding their annual Museum
Ball, their largest annual benefit, with more than 400 attending.
New York’s royal theatrical couple, Sarah Jessica Parker
and Matthew Broderick, along with Ralph Schlosstein and Jane
Hartley, Jessica and Jerry Seinfeld, Aerin and Eric Zinterhofer,
David and
Julia Koch and Connie and Stephen Spahn were co-chairs.
First there were cocktails in the Rotunda at 6:30, and then the black
tie guests were led by bagpipers into the Milstein Hall of Ocean
Life for dinner. That’s the three-story hall with the great
whale suspended from the ceiling. Bardin Palomo transformed the place
into an elegant, shimmering sea of white and gold with hundred of
candles twinkling beneath skylights of undulating blue and a room
filled with lush and fragrant gardens of lilies, hydrangeas, roses
and more.
After dinner there was a fabulous auction conducted by Christie’s
Richard Briefley which included first-class transatlantic accommodations
on the luxurious Queen Mary II; a private behind-the-scenes tour
of NASA, a trip to Mongolia’s Gobi Desert with a renowned Museum
paleontologist and a vacation at the exclusive Punta Cana resort
in the Dominican Republic. And then Alex Donner and his band got
everyone up from their tables and dancing under the big blue whale.
Among the guests joining museum president Ellen Futter and
Museum board chairman Lewis Bernard were Billy
and Kate Lee Joel, Narciso Rodgriquez, Karolina Kurkova, Amy Sacco,
Tom and Meredith Brokaw,
Anne and Constantine Sidamon-Eristoff, Damien and Lillian von Stauffenberg,
Lesley Stahl and Aaron Latham, Kimba Wood and Frank Richardson, Jodie
and John Eastman, Vic and Pat Ganzi, Wendy Vanderbilt Lehman, Valerie
and Jeffrey Peltier, Jonathan Rose, Jurate Kazickas and Roger Altman,
William T. Golden, Ellen Liman, and Cristyne Nicholas, and Jack
Rosenthal.
Meanwhile down at the Gramercy Park Armory at 26th and Lex, they
were opening the Connoisseur’s Art Fair. While over at the
Marriot Marquis on Broadway and 45th, they were holding the National
Book Awards. At Saks (6th floor, men’s) Matthew Mellon, creative
director of Harry’s of London was introducing the “feet
of his famous friends.” Up at Sotheby’s at 72nd and York,
the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House was opening its 17th annual Holiday
Bazaar Preview Party for 500 intrepid New York holiday shoppers.
This will be followed by three festive shopping days offering something
for everyone at the right price. |
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The
scene at Asprey
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Sophie
Dahl and Dan Baker Jr.
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And
then down at Asprey’s on 56th and Fifth,
right next door to the Trump Tower and across the street
from Harry Winston, from 6:30 to 8:30 Liev Schreiber was
guest bartending and Sophie Dahl was reading
from the Asprey Fine and Rare Book Collection. Sophie was
reading from Scott Fitzgerald’s The
Beautiful And Damned.
JH and the Digital was there to get a picture of the two famous ones,
and as you see, he got Ms. Dahl and her sweetiepie, Dan Baker Jr. Mr.
Schrieber wasn’t so easy to spot because, in fact, he was behind the bar
mixing drinks for the clamoring crowd, and who wudda thot? Not us anyway. |
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L.
to r.: Liev Schreiber; Eyes in the back of a
head.
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Chas
Miller
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Lucy
Sykes with her son
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Leslie
Stevens
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After
leaving Asprey’s we took a brief stroll down the
avenue. At eight p.m. the crowds were out and the holiday
decorations are just beginning to surface. There is the great
silver snowflake (a new one this year) suspended over the
junction of 57th and Fifth. At 54th, you could see there
was life in the new MoMA now having its opening parties this
week, and at 52nd and Fifth, Cartier is all wrapped up in
silver and diamonds (the electric light version) and tiaras.
Sleighbells ring ... are ya listenin’ ...?
On 54th, just west of the avenue, while I was waiting for JH to get the shot
you see at the top of the column, I spotted a grey haired man with thick beard
sitting on a townhouse stoop. He was rubbing his eyes, as if to wipe away the
tears. He was bundled up in a parka with a hood and looked a little worse for
the wear, and very sad. I made an assumption, and not an unusual one, that he
was homeless. I pulled some singles out of my pocket, folded them discreetly
(the block was fairly dark) and went over to him. As I extended my hand, without
him saying a word, he shook his head nervously and folded his arms over his chest,
as if to ward off my vibes. I was embarrassed afterwards, wondering if I’d
somehow humiliated him with my gesture (for he did look down and out), if perhaps
the suffering I had perceived was something that had nothing to do with economics
or a homeless situation. |
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The
Cartier mansion on 55th and Fifth
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Tuesday
night in New York. The American Cancer Society,
New York chapter, had their annual theatre party, with dinner
before (for 245) upstairs at “21” where they
auctioned off a dinner for six prepared by Anna Moffo
Sarnoff and purchased by Yue Sae Kan for
$15,000 (that’ll be some pasta, no?), all going to
the ACS. Then after dessert, everyone got into the cars and
buses and went over to West 44th Street and the Broadhurst
Theatre where Billy Crystal is previewing
his one-man show “700 Sundays.”
I first saw Billy Crystal many years ago on the Johnny Carson Show.
He was brand new on the scene and he did an imitation of one of the most famous
men of the moment: Muhammad Ali. A little Jewish kid from
Long Island, as white as they come, doing the giant African-American “I
am the Greatest” world heavyweight boxing champion. Who would believe
it? Anybody, the way this guy works. And funny, and respectful and full of
love. Hysterical.
I was always amazed by his talent because not only can he make
you laugh uncontrollably, but he’s full of wit both folksy and sophisticated. Those who’ve
loved him do his shtick on the Oscars will be glad when the First Act of this
show is over so that they can get some relief and catch their breath from laughing
so much and so hard. It’s a limited engagement I hear it already has
a $6 million advance, so hurry! ACS had a very successful night, taking in
more than $300,000 for the cause. |
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