Night of the Stars

July 26, 2011

On Mar. 8, Gala, The National Center of Latino Performing Arts, celebrated its 35th anniversary season. The evening honored enduring supporters The Eugene & Agnes E. Meyer Foundation, The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, Fernando & Stephanie van Reigersberg and Edwin Aparicio. Heart and soul of Gala, Rebecca and Hugo Medrano, were justly proud of their outreach that crosses “borders and frontiers.” The evening featured performances by Quin Tango, dancer Carina Losano and Gala’s Youth Company Paso Nuevo. Silent and live auctions supported Gala’s mission of creative artistic programming and commitment to arts education. [gallery ids="99630,105185,105181,105169,105177,105173" nav="thumbs"]

White House Correspondents’ Parties, Etc.: D.C.’s Prom Dates


The parties before and after the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner at the Washington Hilton, April 30, grabbed the attention of pols, entertainers, media, activists and fans before that huge Sunday evening announcement by President Obama. He attended the dinner, poking fun at Donald Trump along with comedian Seth Myers. The first lady was wearing Halston; the Donald was wearing a frown.
Parties began with Quinn Gillespie, Lani Hays, Creative Coalition, People, the Bradleys, Tammy Haddad’s garden brunch on R Street, where Sarah Palin was the one not to miss (but she left early). Then, afterwards, MSNBC at the Italian Embassy; Capitol File with Bing and the Creative Coalition at the Reagan Building; Washington Life on Q Street; Vanity Fair at the French ambassador’s residence. On Sunday, brunches from Politico Q Street and John Laughlin and Thomson Reuters at the Hays Adams.
So, is all this truly D.C.’s nerd prom season, as many like to say? We report; you decide.
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Covenant House hosts a Night of Broadway Stars


For once, it was all good for the often beleaguered Mayor Vincent Gray.

That hasn’t been the case too often for the mayor, who’s been embroiled in controversy almost since he took office. But last week, Gray returned to his roots and was honored for what he accomplished there.

The occasion was “A Night of Broadway Stars” a gala event honoring Covenant House, the international organization which dedicates itself to helping homeless young people find work, homes and hope. It awarded its first “Lizzie” award to Gray, Covenant House Washington’s first executive director from 1995 to 2005.

In the course of Gray’s mayoral campaign, one of the first things you found out about him was how much pride he took in his tenureship of Covenant House. “The importance of Covenant House in my life is hard to overstate,” he said in accepting the award. “I am better for my time at Covenant House… We set out to serve the suffering children of the streets and become a voice on behalf of all young people who are themselves homeless and otherwise at risk.”

It was an occasion for honoring the young people themselves, who recited poetry, sang amid Broadway pros, and were visible evidence of the effect of hope fulfilled.

The event, held at the ARC, a state-of-the-art performance space in the heart of Anacostia and next to Covenant House Washington, was indeed a performance of “A Night of Broadway Stars.” It was a song-filled presentation of musical numbers from enduring Broadway hits like “Phantom of the Opera,” “Les Miserable,” “Chicago” and “Jesus Christ Superstar.”

Broadway composer, lyricist and producer Neil Berg put “A Night of Broadway Stars” together, bringing along performers Robert Dusold, Craig Shulman, Ted Louis Levy, Danny Zolli, as well as Frankie Valli, Roger Cohen, Alan Greene, Natalie Rita Harvey, Capathia Jenkins and others.

The combination of empowering music and empowering setting, along with the presence of young men and women who have been helped by Covenant House provided a bracing dose of optimism, probably and especially for the mayor.

Co-chairs for “A Night of Broadway Stars” were Ms. Linda Mercado Greene, Mrs. Judy Greenberg and Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Miller, and Judith Terra and Mrs. Virginia Williams acted as honorary co-chairs.

Ball on the Mall Kick-Off


On Feb. 16, the L’Enfant Society chose Cities on 19th Street to host the 2011 Ball on the Mall Kick-Off Event. Now in its third year, the Society has raised […]

Kitty Kelley & The Women’s Forum of Washington DC


On Nov. 18, Teresa and Paul Klaassen hosted Kitty Kelley and The Women’s Forum of Washington DC for a holiday shopping extravaganza accompanied by festive hors d’oeuvres and wine bars. Vendors on each floor included Nina McLemore, Proper Topper, J McLaughlin of Georgetown, Ibhana Creations and Sissy Yates Jewelry. The Women’s Forum of Washington, DC, Inc. is an affiliate of International Women’s Forum, an organization of preeminent women who share knowledge and ideas to enrich each other’s lives and to provide a network of support to prepare future generations of women leaders. [gallery ids="102507,120185,120196,120192" nav="thumbs"]

Nina McLemore Hosts Nooristan Foundation


Georgetowner Nina McLemore threw open her doors on Oct. 20 to host a fashion show and sale of her latest collection of quality clothing designed for today’s multi-faceted women to benefit the Nooristan Foundation. Nooristan is a non-profit providing humanitarian, medical and educational support for rural areas in Afghanistan. Projects include livelihood assistance and literacy for 90 families in a refugee camp outside Kabul, training midwives in Takhar province and establishing a village school in Nooristan. Nina sells primarily through independent consultants holding private trunk shows. Better specialty locations and eight recently established permanent eponymous stores showcase her wearable and travelable fashions. – Mary Bird [gallery ids="99440,99441,99442,99443" nav="thumbs"]

A Night of Sitar Stars


On Oct. 21, Sitar Arts Center hosted student led tours and then moved to the Meridian International Center for a reception, silent auction, fall fashion show, arts performance and even more to benefit its arts education programs. Exec. Dir. Ed Spitzberg hailed Sitar as “arguably the number one arts center in this country.” Sitar Arts Center enables underserved children and youth to study visual and performing arts in an after school safe haven. It reaches more than 700 students a year, 80 percent from low-income households. Partners include The Corcoran Gallery of Art, The Washington Ballet, Shakespeare Theatre Company and WPAS. – Mary Bird [gallery ids="99444,99445,99446,99447,99448,99449" nav="thumbs"]

2010 Signature Chefs Auction of D.C. Supports The March of Dimes


This year’s Honorary Chef Ris Lacoste hosted a VIP reception on Oct. 26 at her acclaimed restaurant highlighted by Chef Geoff Tracey and media spouse Norah O’Donnell signing Baby Love: Healthy, Easy, Delicious Meals for Your Baby and Toddler. The main event was a stone’s throw away at the Ritz-Carlton where over 20 of our area’s best chefs served samples of their signature dishes accompanied by offerings from breweries, wineries and local bartenders. Live and silent auctions included unique dining packages, event tickets, hotel stays and weekend getaways. Proceeds support local March of Dimes programs to reduce premature births and infant mortality. – Mary Bird [gallery ids="99450,99451,99452,99453,99454,99455" nav="thumbs"]

Happy to Have Ris — and Madigan and Trehan Back


On Oct. 21, The Georgetowner hosted a happy hour at Ris, celebrating the launch of chef and restaurateur Ris Lacoste’s new column, “Across the Cutting Board with Ris.” The evening was also in honor of the return of The Georgetowner’s much beloved column, “The Player,” in which Veena Trehan teams up with WTOP’s Bob Madigan to interview a diverse array of prominent members of the DC community. Ris catered the event with delicious choice samplings from the acclaimed kitchen, including Gruyere puffs, tuna tartar and veal terrine. Keep an eye out for both columns in The Georgetowner. — Ari Post [gallery ids="99465,99466,99467,99468,99469" nav="thumbs"]

Junior League of Washington


The Junior League of Washington (JLW) launched its 52nd Annual A Capital Collection of Holiday Shops at the Marriott Wardman Park with the Meg Graham Scholarship Breakfast on Nov. 19. The late Rev. Margaret “Meg” Graham was a past President of the Association of Junior Leagues International, former Rector of St. John’s Episcopal Church in Georgetown, and co-founder of the National Alliance to End Homelessness. In l982 the JLW established an annual $10,000 Meg Graham Scholarship awarded to graduating seniors of DC public and charter schools who have been accepted to an accredited post-secondary institution and who demonstrate a strong academic record and significant volunteer service. [gallery ids="99569,104840,104829,104837,104834" nav="thumbs"]