PaperCity Magazine

July/August 2017 - Dallas

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32 BOLD MOVES By Billy Fong. Photography Gary Donihoo, Kym Skiles. I was skeptical when I heard TACA Lexus Party on the Green was relocating from its longtime Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek digs. I relished strolling through the hotel, sampling our little hamlet's ce- lebrity-chef offerings. However, after attending the beautiful evening at Sammons Park at the AT&T Performing Arts Center, I'm now fully behind the move. I asked TACA's new executive director, Wolford McCue what to expect under his leadership and received some big news. "In addition to providing unrestricted dollars to performing-arts groups, we will soon fund visu- al-arts organizations and arts initiatives that have a social impact," he said. With TACA celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, I'm not surprised by the ambitious sights. For its Arts District debut, Party on the Green chairs Katherine Wynne and Tia Wynne and 50th Anniversary chair Wanda Gierhart somehow secured a sponsorship from the weather gods, who provided glorious early-spring skies and mild temperatures. While I've developed a bit of a reputation for not eating — I've invested too much in my wardrobe over the last 20 years to risk moving up a size — that all changed at the Party on the Green. A crowd favorite was the garlic-drenched king crab from bad boy John Tesar of Knife at The Highland Dallas. There were also performances by TACA- funded arts organizations. Dancers Katelyn Harris and Sean J. Smith tap danced in the refl ecting pool outside the Winspear Opera House; it was like seeing La La Land live and unplugged. The night wound down with many visits to the Mansion's chocolate bar, helmed by pastry chef Nicolas Blouin, and a fi nal look around for the best dressed. There are always oodles of well-heeled ladies, and I don't want to forsake any of them, but there can only be one winner for Best Dressed on the Green — and it was Michelle Thomas. PARTY QUERY With food on everyone's brain, I asked a few pals to divulge their fantasy dinner-party guests. Walter Elcock would request Jimi Hendrix and John Lennon. His wife, Laura Elcock, would ask Richard Diebenkorn and Etta James. (I never realized my dear friends the Elcocks were such groupies.) Gillian Breidenbach would dine with Adele, Amy Schumer, Clint Eastwood, and Princess Di. Robert Weatherly would get political, with Madeleine Albright, Colin Powell, and Condoleezza Rice. And Heather Hibbard dreams of pairing Prince with Clint Eastwood. Michelle Thomas Wanda Gierhart, Dean Fearing Tia Wynne, Katherine Wynne Dark Circles Contemporary Dance Caroline Rose Hunt, Robert Brackbill Esther Lee, Kristine Chen Heather Hibbard, Robert Weatherly Denise Quattrini, Lisa Quattrini Michelle de Metz Sally & Ross Taylor Wolford & Cheryl McCue Larry Lane, Bentley Tibbs

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