Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/162519
Front and Centerstage Shining the Spotlight on Dallas Theater Center BY JAYNE CHOBOT HERRING. PHOTOGRAPHY DANA DRIENSKY. S ipping champagne in the Wyly lobby, the Dallas Theater Center staff buzzed with last-minute checks prior to Centerstage 2013. Gala co-chair Deborah McMurray was visibly excited, pointing out how the space had been transformed into something urban and original. If the fashion was any indication, she was right. My escort Hamilton Sneed's velvet Paul Smith jacket and purple bow tie made him a standout Donald as usual, but he had some serious competition. Fowler Barbara Daseke's sparkling green floral bolero jacket beautifully offset her signature platinum 'do. From across the room, I spotted Cece Smith's stunning skirt, which she knew was a must-have when she spotted it in a Paris window. Lynn McBee was statuesque in an architectural Victoria Beckham dress worn with Louis Vuitton shoes and Nest's Donald Fowler on her arm. The charming chap in white Chucks turned out to be Lee Trull, DTC's recently dubbed director of new play development, fresh from the Big Apple and thankfully not quite as evil as the King Lear antagonist he'd played a few months earlier. Once Katy Perry's "Firework" blared from the speakers, a flash mob hit the dance floor; it took us a moment to realize these were the DTC Trustees owning the night. See what happens when you give theater people cocktails? Original DTC company members Cedric Neal and Liz Mikel returned to the Wyly as the evening's headliners after shining brightly on Broadway in the Erin revival of Porgy and Bess and the triumphant and Vergauwen original Lysistrata Jones, respectively. The crowd took the fund-raising as seriously as the fun and broke the gala record by exceeding this year's goal by 125 percent. Beaming: honorary chairs Diane and Hal Brierley, co-chair Rusty Duval, Liz Minyard Lokey and Paul Lokey, Anne and Alex Smith, Greg Basinger, Rebecca and Barron Fletcher, Tina and John Barry, Missy and David Boone, Ana and Don Carty, Linda and Bill Custard, Bess and Ted Enloe, Melissa and Trevor Fetter, Kate and Dana Juett, Susan and Bob Kaminski, Susan and Bill Montgomery, Ruth Robinson, and Gail and Gerald Turner. Co-chair Deborah McMurray Keith Wewe Lynn McBee Carl Sewell Karen Wiley Kevin Moriarty Ted Skokos Peggy Sewell Shannon Skokos Jim Wiley Chas Vergauwen Merry Vose Doug Houser John Runyon Don Daseke Ken Hersh Honorary Chair Hal Brierley Honorary Chair Diane Brierley Cedric Neal Rebecca Fletcher Croc Star Gail Good at Wes Gordon Trumping the vista outside Barbara Buzzell's Museum Tower aerie is impossible … unless your indoor competition is a coterie of crocodile handbags from Nancy Gonzalez. The PR powerhouse hosted an intimate evening for the South American designer, in town for a series of personal appearances at Neiman Marcus. Thus, the retailer's heavy-hitters Malcolm Reuben, Jonathan Joselove, Howard Feldman, and Kel Rowe were out in full force. Charmed, we're sure: Santiago Gonzalez, Carol Poston, Carole Lee, Jill Crotty, and Allie Kobs. Jim Gold at Mary Katrantzou Madi Shoppa at Nancy Gonzalez Lori Jones at VBH Sonia Black at VBH Nasiba Adilova at Mary Katrantzou Barron Fletcher Beth Savoldelli at VBH Mary Katrantzou Jennifer Karol at Mary Katrantzou Alma Samardzic at VBH Wes Gordon SEPTEMBER | PAGE 20 | 2013 Phillip Taylor Yvette Ostolaza at VBH Paige Hardison at Wes Gordon Blanca Tuma at Wes Gordon Jill Crotty at Nancy Gonzalez Paula North at VBH Chloé Edwards at Wes Gordon Nancy Gonzalez Barbara Buzzell at Nancy Gonzalez How the Wes was Worn Tracy Madans at VBH Catherine Rose at Mary Katrantzou Mickie Bragalone Santiago Gonzalez at Nancy Gonzalez Hill at Mary Katrantzou Jeff Bragalone Bruce Hoeksema at VBH Dee Dee Lee at Mary Katrantzou John Muse Jacquelin Taylor BY AMY ADAMS AND SAVANNAH CHRISTIAN. PHOTOGRAPHY JOHN CAIN SARGENT, STEVE FOXALL, DANA DRIENSKY, MARK ANTHONY NELSON. Allie Kobs at Nancy Gonzalez Lyn Muse Julie Hersh Co-chair Rusty Duval Megan Beckner Jennifer Houser Places, everyone! Nancy, Wes, Mary and Bruce keep flashbulbs popping. The friends of Paula North and Yvette Ostolaza had dual reasons to flock to Ocho, where the lovelies hosted a soiree for Bruce Hoeksema and his VBH handbag collection. One: Sample the restaurant's new menu reflecting the sensibilities of chef Joel Harloff. And, two: Ask not "Which one?" but "How many?" Chica va-voom: Suzanne Dana Droese, Simona Beal, Arnold at Mary Deborah Scott, Rachael Katrantzou Dedman, Lori Jones, and Dianne Saslaw. Lauren Chad Vose Barbara Daseke Up Close and Personal The Man with the Bag Thad Beckner Lisa Runyon The possibility of chatting up the charming Wes Gordon is, in itself, a huge draw. But layer in the designer's fall collection, and you've got the perfect excuse to hightail it to a Stanley Korshak trunk show. Gordon says he was inspired by a girl who's having an affair with one of The Rolling Stones. We answer, "Swoon." Gathering no moss: Gretchen Goldstucker, Sonya Woods, Leslie Allen, and Susan Posnick — we can't wait to see her in those fabulous black/white-printed trousers she couldn't live without. Mary, Mary, Not Contrary Place the decidedly fabulous London-based designer Mary Katrantzou inside a room at Neiman Marcus Downtown, and the magic starts. Her dreamy collection captured the attention of Tina Craig, Claire Emanuelson, Kira Plastinina, and Marisa Seaman over lunch and a fashion presentation. From there, Katrantzou headed to the home of host Nasiba Adilova, where Sue Gragg, Luisa Fernanda Espinosa, and Nadiya Chenko had clothes encounters of their own.