Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/322791
MOORES SCHOOL'S SOUTHERN SOJOURN A ct One at the Wortham Center was performed by the Moores School of Music, when chairmen Eleanor Connan (in from Florida) and Beth Madison orchestrated a perfectly melodious evening. Maestros Patrick Summers of the Houston Grand Opera and San Francisco- based David Gockley (who put HGO on the map as general director for 30-plus years and who's now with SF's opera company) served as honorary chairs. The operatic duet was appropriate, as the night honored composer and librettist Carlisle Floyd, a former University of Houston music professor who, along with Gockley, co-founded the Houston Opera Studio for promising opera stars of tomorrow. In keeping with Floyd's renown as creator of new operas, the gala took its theme — It's About Time — from the deep Southern setting of many of the composer's creations, coinciding with the performance a week later of his Cold Sassy Tree. Jackson and Company got into the mood and crafted a down-home feast (low-country stew, roasted rack of pork with turnip and collard greens, strawberry shortcake). The bottom line was beautiful music — aided by crooning from a quartet of Moores opera students (Gwendolyn Alfred, Leah Bobbey, Eric Lindsey, and Heath Martin). Proceeds endowed the new Carlisle Floyd Scholarship, as well as other educational opportunities for future performers. Southern comforted: Moores director David Ashley White, director designate Andrew Davis and wife Corey, UH chancellor/prez Renu Khator with husband/associate dean of engineering Suresh and colleague liberal arts dean John Roberts; Moores Society prez Beverly Kaufman; Kathi and Bill Rovere; and Katina Pontikes and Monty McDannald. PARISIAN JAZZ RIFFS FOR SPA D ays later, Society for the Performing Arts had its turn in the limelight. This time, it was a smoldering jazz gala with a dose of 1920s Parisian splendor, when the style of Josephine Baker was in the air. Credit Bergner & Johnson for its evocation of the Forever Paris motif, beginning with the crystal chandeliers connected by suspended strands of little white lights that lent the cavernous Wortham's Grand Foyer the intimacy of a Parisian supper club from back in the day. Flapper-worthy apparel — beaded sleek gowns accessorized by ropes of pearls — was the order of the evening chaired with aplomb by Elizabeth and Tim Vail, assisted by honorary chairs Rosemary Schatzman and Vanessa Sendukas. The night honored Karl Kilian of The Menil Collection, founder of Brazos Bookstore and an SPA board member incredibly since 1975. Jackson and Company contributed a culinary masterpiece headlined by boeuf en croute, while Manhattan-based The Hot Sardines filled the room with jazz riffs that would have made Cole Porter proud, punctuated by DJ Sun spinning late-night vinyl as the soirée wound down. The half-million-dollar night funded some swell programs for 120,000 area schoolkids. Revelers: SPA CEO June Christensen, Doreen and Victor Bhatt, underwriter Cartier's Kari Gonzales squired by John Dagley, bauble lady DeVille Fine Jewelry's Liz Glanville and husband Tom (DeVille donated dramatic diamond-and- yellow- sapphire hoops to the live auction), Amy and Todd Miller, Kathryn and Ian Fay, and Linda and Willie Chiang. DOUBLE-MILLION BELLE ÉPOQUE AND HGO T he arrival of the invitation to this year's Houston Grand Opera Ball was enough to give even the most jaded social pause. The white-tie night was hailed Fleurs de l'Opera, and the formal summons featured an exquisite cascade of embossed sculptural paper blossoms enjoining guests to join chair, musical patroness supreme Margaret Williams, for some enchanted evening. Talk about petal power: HGO's Opera Ball in the Wortham's Grand Foyer was festooned with 28,000 orchid blossoms, 18,000 roses, 9,500 peonies, 5,000 hydrangea stems, 500 branches of apple blossoms, 400 bowers of forsythia, 300 delphinium and 150 dogwood branches — a fitting floral tribute to the record-making $2 million fête. Credit The Events Company with the outrageous flowers, while fund- raising kudos begin with Miz Williams and extend to HGO's men at the top, Perryn Leech and Patrick Summers; entertainment underwriters Sue and Lester Smith; after-party chair Heather Pray; auction chairs Isabel and Danny David; and wine auction chair quartet Mary and Mark D'Andrea and Valerie and Tracy Dieterich. Chairman Eleanor Connan at Moores School David Ashley White Chairman Beth Madison CATHERINE D. ANSPON BASKS IN THREE BIG NIGHTS AT THE WORTHAM THEATER CENTER. PHOTOGRAPHY KIM COFFMAN, PRISCILLA DICKSON, WILSON PARISH, MICHELLE WATSON FOR CATCHLIGHT GROUP. JUNE | PAGE 20 | 2014 Performing Arts Take the Social Stage TALK ABOUT PETAL POWER: HGO'S OPERA BALL IN THE WORTHAM'S GRAND FOYER WAS FESTOONED WITH 28,000 ORCHID BLOSSOMS, 18,000 ROSES, 9,500 PEONIES, 5,000 HYDRANGEA STEMS, 500 BRANCHES OF APPLE BLOSSOMS, 400 BOWERS OF FORSYTHIA, 300 DELPHINIUM AND 150 DOGWOOD BRANCHES ... A FITTING TRIBUTE TO THE ABSOLUTE RECORD-MAKING $2 MILLION FÊTE. Sallymoon Benz at Moores School Honorary chair David Gockley at Moores School Suresh Khator at Moores School Tom Glanville at SPA Renu Khator Liz Glanville Jerry Fischer at Moores School Omar Khan at HGO Mary D'Andrea at HGO June Christensen at SPA Chairman Tim Vail Chairman Elizabeth Vail Bobby Tudor at SPA Phoebe Tudor Beau Miller at HGO Jason Arnoldy at HGO Lindley Arnoldy Lynn Wyatt Valerie Dieterich Maha Khan Frances Marzio Honoree Carlisle Floyd Alan Bentz Brian Teichman at HGO Chris Goins at HGO Fady Armanious Andrew Cordes Kathryn Smith at SPA Melanie Gray Chairman Margaret Williams Perryn Leech at HGO Honoree Karl Kilian at SPA Kari Gonzales at SPA Taking a twirl at Opera Ball