Social Scene

Robert Devaney • December 23, 2015

Author Kitty Kelley celebrated the 100th anniversary of the birth of America’s greatest crooner by signing copies of her reissused 1986 book, “His Way: The Unauthorized Biography of Frank Sinatra,” with hundreds of her friends Dec. 9 at Ristorante i Ricchi on 19th Street NW.

“Who would’ve thought that we’d be here tonight celebrating the 100th birthday of Frank Sinatra?” said Kelley, who added that she was sued by the singer before she’d written a word. “The day he hit me with his $2 million lawsuit was the day I fully understood what the First Amendment was all about.” Writers’ and journalists’ groups stepped up to support her.

“For me, the best part of tonight is that the life story of a man with only 47 days of education before he dropped out of high school in Hoboken, New Jersey, will benefit Reading is Fundamental,” said Kelley, raising her champagne glass to toast both Ol’ Eyes and the First Amendment.

Chef Christianne Ricchi chose Italian immigrant food as light fare, ranging from sausages, mozzarella sticks to meatballs in spaghetti nests. And, yes, Sinatra dropped that lawsuit.
[gallery ids="102197,131563,131557,131568" nav="thumbs"]

Mary Bird • December 22, 2015

This year’s featured film was a special screening of Ron Howard’s “In the Heart of the Sea,” relating the true story of the whaler Essex which inspired Herman Melville to write “Moby Dick.” The evening began with an Asian buffet at Spices Dec. 9 before guests strolled across Connecticut Avenue to the Uptown Theater, where PBS Newshour’s Judy Woodruff emceed a program honoring Vicky Marchand, former president of Woodley House, and Kana Enomoto, Acting Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Since 1958, Woodley House has been a leader in innovative mental health care, helping more than 15,000 men and women on a pathway to recovery from crisis care to eventual supported independence in shared apartments.
[gallery ids="102203,131506,131490,131501,131476,131483,131496" nav="thumbs"]

Georgetowner •

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.
[gallery ids="102202,131516,131497,131529,131505,131523,131511" nav="thumbs"]

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.
[gallery ids="102201,131519,131524" nav="thumbs"]

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.
[gallery ids="102200,131531,131527" nav="thumbs"]

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.
[gallery ids="102199,131534,131545,131539" nav="thumbs"]

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.
[gallery ids="102196,131565,131570" nav="thumbs"]

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.
[gallery ids="102181,132195,132190" nav="thumbs"]