Social Scene

Georgetowner • December 22, 2015

The 35th Annual Choral Arts Holiday Concert & Gala filled the Kennedy Center with song Dec. 14. Under the honorary patronage of Singapore Ambassador Ashok Mirpuri and Mrs. Gouri Mirpuri, the evening celebrated the 50th anniversary of Choral Arts and the 50th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Singapore. The concert featured Singapore Youth Choir singers from Singapore in special arrangement with the embassy. Founded in 1965 by its artistic director emeritus Norman Scribner and led by artistic director Scott Tucker, the Choral Arts Society of Washington connects choral music to all Americans and partners with worldwide organizations to develop inspiring programs.
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Georgetowner •

The newly formed Washington Opera Society celebrated the holidays Dec. 11 at the Q St. Fine Art Gallery. The group’s executive director Michael J. Reilly spoke of the mission of programming older show music, operetta and lesser known opera as well as bringing students the magic of classical music. Between hors d’oeuvres and dinner Scott Beard conducted a program of holiday music and operatic favorites sung by Nicole Butler, Jesús Daniel Hernández, Kwangkyu Lee, Narda Munoz and Dariusz Ocetek. The 2016 season will showcase Gounod’s “Romeo et Juliette” and an evening of opera and Latin dancing under the stars.
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Georgetowner •

Santa Claus and Rudolph made an early appearance Dec. 1 at the Fairmont’s 12th Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony. The event collected more than 500 gifts for Toys for Tots. Festivities included entertainment by the Georgetown Visitation Madrigals, presentation of colors by the U.S. Marine Corps Color Guard, family photographs as well as arts and crafts for children. NBC4 News anchor Angie Goff emceed, as 200 people enjoyed hot chocolate and cookies.
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Georgetowner •

A sold-out crowd of opera aficionados from Boston, New York and Washington celebrated Opera Camerata of Washington’s 25th anniversary Dec. 5 at the residence of Ambassador of Colombia Juan Carlos Pinzon and his wife.

The black tie evening featured a cocktail reception and elegant dinner buffet. Guests enjoyed a superb production of Puccini’s “Tosca,” featuring local singers Olga Orlovskaya in the title role and Jose Sacin, as Scarpia. An 18-piece orchestra was conducted by Peruvian Esparto Lavalle Terry, who arrived in D.C. especially for the event.

Guests included Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, Ambassador of Japan Kenichiro Sasae and his wife, Nobuko Sasae, Bishop Mario Dorsonville and Ambassador Paul Hare.
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Georgetowner •

Bob Woodward, a Washington Post editor and Georgetown resident, was interviewed at Carol Joynt’s Dec. 11 Q&A luncheon at the George Town Club.

Woodward said he thought he had finished writing books on Nixon until he ran into Alexander Butterfield, who revealed the White House taping which led to the president’s resignation. He called the Watergate hearings a cultural event, which brought to light Nixon’s paranoia in feeling the need for “sanitization” of White House staff offices displaying a photograph of President Kennedy. Nixon was “rude and condescending” toward Butterfield, “borderline abusive” in his relationship with first lady Patricia Nixon and played “ego games with Kissinger.”

Woodward lauded the “mind on, hands off” approach of Washington Post publisher Katherine Graham during his and Carl Bernstein’s investigation and her determination to have the truth come out.

Georgetowner •

The 28th annual Washington Business Hall of Fame was held at the National Building Museum Dec. 2. About 1,100 attended the black-tie event, founded by Greater Washington Board of Trade, Junior Achievement of Greater Washington and Washingtonian magazine. A record $1.3 million was raised for Junior Achievement.

Five laureates were inducted into the Hall of Fame for their professional and philanthropic contributions to the Washington region: Seth Goldman, Sheila Johnson, Joe Rigby, John Toups, and Scott Wilfong. News anchor Leon Harris of WJLA-TV/ABC7 emceed with some help from caped JA Superheroes Vivian Poe and Kennedy Cawley. [gallery ids="102198,131560,131541,131554,131549" nav="thumbs"]

Robert Devaney •

David Yurman’s first boutique in Washington, D.C., celebrated its grand opening Dec. 8 with Georgetown’s own cupcake queens, the Kallinis sisters and in partnership with Hope for Henry, a portion of the evening’s proceeds will benefit the organization. It joins Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Carolina Herrera, Paul Stuart, Salvatore Ferragamo and others at CityCenter, where holiday shopping is a must at D.C.’s newest top boutique headquarters.
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Georgetowner • December 8, 2015

Charlie Cerf and Cynthia Dunbar co-hosted with Katherine Field Stephen PEN/Faulkner’s Nov. 18 Founding Fathers Literary Luncheon. Author Andrew Cockburn spoke of his book, “Kill Chain: The Rise of High-Tech Assassins.” It takes the reader inside the world of national security. Cockburn opined that the present strategy of taking out the key person of a terrorist group by using drones and remote controlled technology has not yielded positive results. In his opinion, “Clearly, we’re not doing the right thing.” PEN/Faulkner initiatives include Writers in Schools, a literary arts outreach program committed to developing the next generation of readers.
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Georgetowner •

Tommy McFly was in the best of company on Nov. 20 as Carol Joynt interviewed him for her Q&A luncheons at the George Town Club. Weekday mornings, 5 to 9 a.m., Tommy hosts “The Tommy Show” on 94.7 Fresh FM joined with co-hosts Kelly Collis and Jen Richer and heard by approximately one million listeners each week. Tommy shared his early roots in Scranton, PA, and national prominence as first emcee at the White House Easter Egg Hunt. He also confirmed the recent announcement of his marriage proposal to partner Chrys Kefalas.

Patrick G. Ryan •

Some of Washington, D.C.’s top professional athletes from the Washington Nationals, Redskins and Wizards, as well as D.C. United, came together Nov. 19 for the Becky’s Fund 7th Annual Walk This Way charity fashion show at the Embassy of Italy. The event raised more than $150,000 for Becky’s Fund, a non profit committed to the prevention of intimate partner violence. [gallery ids="102179,132213,132221,132228,132232" nav="thumbs"]