Socialites Glitter Under Trees: It Must Be Spring!

My partner in crime, Jamie Brunskill, gets cheeky with socialites at Lincoln Center Institute’s inaugural gala

(**All text and photos by Susan M. Kirschbaum)

Last night, a nice pack of youngish social New York slinked into glitter dresses (females)  and straight jackets (males) and cavorted among the heat lamps on the terrace at the Hudson Hotel. A lot of the great sequined numbers were on loan by Valentino, who sponsored the event.  The socials celebrated — and some paid $150 a ticket — to support the Lincoln Center Institute, which supports imaginative teaching of art in schools across the country. (Note: Lincoln Center Institute is not to be confused with Lincoln Center, the famed  performance space.)

A swell Jazz quartet played.  Mamie Gummer (Meryl Streep’s actress daughter), Jon Neidich (Standard Hotel “Boom Boom” Room’s manager) artist Carlton DeWoody  (in a swanky louche newscap and scarf) and nice Vogue editor Lauren Goodman noshed on sticks of beef dabbled in skinny french fries, pork spring rolls, and mini cupcakes. The booze flowed FREE and FREELY  I can’t remember anything else…..

Meanwhile, last week, a much quieter inaugural affair, the Max Reger Foundation of America gala put together a little shin dig at Landmark on the Park, a Norman church on Central Park West. The dinner– a makeshift almost do it yourself buffet eaten on your lap — worried me at the onset. But, I’m glad I did not take any instincts to spring out the back door early because i would have missed some extraordinary musicians, including cellist Jessie Reagen Mann ( a Curtis graduate) and Phoung Nghi Pham — a little girl from Vietnam — who is becoming a musical prodigy, thanks to the Max Reger foundation funding. Phoung now studies academics at the Bostin Latin School and studies with Clara Slater, care of Max Reger, at the New England Conservatory Preparatory School. The program does not list her age, (I figure ten), but I’ll let her music speak for itself.

If you’re one of the social gals or guys floating round last night, please consider donating some of your accessories money to the Max Reger Foundation: MAXREGER Also, check out the Lincoln Center Institute website:LCINSTITUTE

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