|
Miami City Ballet
Celebrates Opening Night
of Its 20th
Anniversary Season
by Barbara Storer
Society Editor
and Columnist
 
H.I.H. Princess Thi-Nga of Vietnam
recently hosted a lavish evening of parties for
Miami City Ballet’s Artist’s Circle members in
honor of the opening night of the Ballet’s 20th
Anniversary Season.
Artist Circle
members entered Jackie Gleason Theater through a
private red carpet entrance, lined with palm trees
and champagne servers. Photos were taken with
Miami City Ballet’s founding Artistic Director
Edward Villella and were later given to guests as
gifts. During intermissions, guests were again
invited to the Founder’s Room to sample an
abundance of gourmet passed hors d’oeuvres and
wines. The receptions provided an exclusive and
deservingly glamorous opening for an evening of
remarkable performances.
A very
special announcement was made that evening. John
Karlton, developer and resident of Bal Harbour,
gave $1 million to Miami City Ballet over a
seven-year period of time to go toward live
orchestra.
After the final ballet, Artist Circle
President Bobi Eroncig invited guests to gather in
the orchestra pit with Mr. Villella and the
evening’s hostess, H.I.H Princess Thi-Nga. The
assembled guests applauded Miami City Ballet
Founder, Toby Ansin and raised their glasses to a
wonderful beginning of the 20th Anniversary
Season. When the curtain behind the crowd lifted
again, the stage had been transformed into a
stunning, imperial banquet hall. The unique
arrangement of the theater enticed guests to
continue to dine past midnight.
Some
of those in attendance included Linda Villella,
Director of Miami City Ballet School; MCB Board
President Mike Eidson and his wife, Dr. Margaret
Eidson; John and Darla Karlton, Dan and Rosalind
Richter, Marvin R. Friedman, Adrienne bon Haes,
Dan and Tina Carlo, Sonia “Tita” Puopolo, Donald
J. and Lisa Pliner, and Mavis and Howard Salus,
Publishers of Entertainment News & Views.
This will definitely make the list
of one of the best events of
2005!
PHOTO IDS
1 &
2. Linda Villella, Mavis Salus, Edward Villella,
Princess Thi-Nga and Howard Salus
3. Sanford
and Dolores Ziff
4. Shelley Acoca, P.R. Guru
Charles Cinnamon and Judy
Drucker
Photos by Sergio
Alsina
Chef Norman Hosts “Pleasures of the Palate”
Benefiting the Diabetes Research Institute
by Barbara Storer
Society
Editor and Columnist
 
More than 100 dinners arrived at Chef
Norman Van Aken’s Coral Gables restaurant,
Norman’s, for the eighth annual Pleasures of the
Palate, an elegant wine dinner that benefited the
Diabetes Research Institute (DRI). Before the
evening was through, guests contributed more than
$140,000 to the cause, bringing the event’s
combined total to more than $1 million since
inception.
 
Latin Grammy nominee Roberto Perera
provided musical entertainment as guests were then
treated to a fabulous four-course dinner paired
with the perfect complimentary wines, courtesy of
National Distributing Company.
Between courses, Doug Gallagher, who hosted
the event with his wife Sue, led the live auction
which included a vertical of wine from the
Gallagher’s own cellar, Carnival cruises in the
exclusive owner’s suite, and an African safari.
Top bidders included Robert Hector, Carlos
Saladrigas, Jodi and Bob Dickinson, Moises
Grayson, Carol Nudelman and Morton Blumberg, and
Cherie and Jay Weinstein. Special thanks were
extended to sponsors Regions Financial Corporation
and the Headlands Foundation.
PHOTO
IDS
1. Dr. Camillo Ricordi with his
wife, Valerie, and Sue and Doug Gallagher
2.
Robert Hector
3. Jodi and Bob Dickinson
4.
Doug Gallagher, Edward Reilly
|
Menu 