A Promise Kept

Honoring the Promise

by contributor Donna Shor
Photos courtesy of Susan G. Komen Foundation
Videos by Janet Donovan

Any gala that begins with mezzo soprano Denyce Graves-Montgomery singing the
dramatic “Habanera” from “Carmen,” a role she has made her own, and ends with
Howard University’s Afro Blue Jazz Chorus harmonizing to a hot jazz beat has to be a hit, and it was.
 
The Honoring the Promise Gala raised $2 million for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Foundation in its struggle to fight breast cancer.

Eye of the Beholder

Sohrob Fatoorechie

by contributor Wendy Gordon

What were you doing when you were 11 years old?  Sure, at that point most of us were beyond Tonka trucks and Barbie dolls, albeit not much.  In this day and age, 11 is apparently the new 40.

Ghosts and goblins on the prowl.

by contributor Brendan Kownacki

A Night at the Newseum

The ghosts and goblins were on the prowl when Brightest Young Things gathered a sell-out crowd of more than 4,000 people at the Newseum on Friday for its annual Halloween extravaganza.  The massive crowd of costumed revelers filled the halls of the museum up and down. 

National Champagne Day a holiday? Really.

Wendy Gordon

by contributor Wendy Gordon

October 28th was National Champagne Day.  Yes.  Now you may ask…”Is this an actual holiday???  REALLY?  While our research didn’t find an official creator for this particular celebration, nor did we find any Congressional record or presidential proclamation to support it, we’re all for it.  Why not?  After all, New Year’s Eve is months away and there’s really never a bad time to pop a cork in celebration…right? 

50TH Anniversary of the Diplomatic Reception Rooms

Michael Douglas

Photo credit: Neshan H. Naltchayan

Video by Janet Donovan

The U. S. Department of State honored the Former Secretaries of State and The Patrons of Diplomacy with Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton.

I wanna be a dog.....

Video by Janet Donovan

11th Annual Howl-o-ween Pet Costume Benefit Supporting the Humane Society of New York was hosted by Wendy Diamond, a frequent visitor to DC and frequent guest on The Today Show.

The Black List

The National Portrait Gallery

If you're African America, it's a list you want to be on.

"Historically, “blacklist” denotes a group of people marginalized and denied work or social approval. In an effort to redefine the term, these portraits of 50 African Americans reclaim the term “blacklist” to be affirming, influential and powerful."  National Portrait Gallery 

Would you trust THIS man to make your pizza?

Brendan Kownacki

Video by Janet Donovan


Pizzeria Paradiso Turns 20.  Chef & Owner Ruth Gresser asked us if we would like to make a pizza with her to celebrate the occasion.  Hollywood on the Potomac contributor Brendan Kownacki did just that. 

Suspicious package found at The Embassy of Denmark

Photo by Wendy Gordon: Tim Burger Christina Sevilla Tom Toles Bryan Greene

by contributor Wendy Gordon

There was a Suspicious Package at the Embassy of Denmark on Wednesday night.  That’s not to say there were FBI agents and bomb sniffing dogs called to the scene.  It was Nordic Food Day, you see.  I know.  You’re now asking yourself “what does Nordic Food Day have to do with Suspicious Packages''?  Simple.

"Get Your Pink On"

 Alan Popovsky Victoria Michael Erika Gutierrez Nicole Siobal Arsalon Tavacoli

by contributor Yoonjeong Oh

Hudson Restaurant and Lounge turned pink for one night in support of breast cancer.

The “Get Your Pink On” party, as the title suggests, encouraged guests to wear pink which would save them 10% of their bill. 

The pink wave didn’t stop there: There were “Pink Drinks,” "Pink" themed small bites that included  “Pink Donuts,” “Pink Bacon Lollipops,” “Pink Cotton Candy” and “Pink S'Mores” roasting out on Hudson's patio! 

Blue Themed Bash Inspires Hope

Michelle Money flanked by Congressman Dan Boren (R)

by contributor Brendan Kownacki

Photos by Megan Podeszwa

It was a message of hope and inspiration on Wednesday evening when supporters and survivors gathered at the Decatur House for the Chris4Life Blue Hope Bash to benefit colon cancer research.

The elegant affair treated guests to more than dinner.  Stories of survival to help those currently battling colon cancer or those whose families had dealt with the condition captivated the audience.

"ART is LoVe"

Robin Bronk Alan Cumming and Brian Smith

by contributor Chantal Botana

"ART is LoVe," so says filmmaker Spike Lee. Though not in attendance, Lee's presence was known as his scribe graced every T-shirt given to those willing to chalk a saying of their own on a blackboard for the make-shift photo booth. Fun stuff!

About 200 guests were in attendance for the evening celebrating "Art & Soul. The Stars Unite to Celebrate and Support the Arts," a coffee-table book photographed by Pulitzer Prize-winner Brian Smith & edited by Robin Bronk of The Creative Coalition (TCC).

Quidam Drifts Into the District

by contributor Brendan Kownacki

The energy was palpable on Tuesday when a small crowd was treated to a preview of the upcoming show Quidam at the Renaissance Hotel in Dupont Circle.  Quidam, the latest installment from Cirque du Soleil to drift into the District, is a mix of dance, acrobatics, skipping rope and the usual fantasy and freedom that all Cirque shows embody.

The show is a Cirque classic revamped for today's audience and will feature a live band on stage in addition to many traditional favorites for old fans and new alike.

DC Ramps up for Celebrity Chefs

Gina Gersavani of PS7s, Michel Richard, PS7 chef Peter Smith, and Owen Thomson of Jose Andres' ThinkFoodGroup.

by contributor Brendan Kownacki

The chatter has begun for the upcoming Metropolitan Cooking and Entertaining Show, set to land in D.C. on November 5-6 with a host of special guests. 

Event founder Denise Medved announced on Monday that alongside high profile chefs Paula Deen, Guy Fieri and a host of other James Beard winners and nominees, the event will also play host for more than 2,500 military spouses as a part of a program called “Project Home Cooking.”  Expected to appear will be Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Martin Dempsey, as well as Dr. Jill Biden.

Did you hear the one about?

Mark Twain

It was like the beginning of a really good joke....

Or that's how it felt when Jack Black, Paul Rudd, Tim Meadows and several other comedy stars flocked to Washington DC to celebrate Will Ferrell receiving the Kennedy Center's 14th annual Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. 

Couture Steps Out Against Cancer

by contributor Brendan Kownacki

Photo courtesy of Pink Rocks the Runway

Designer Christian Siriano dazzled the DC scene last night showing off his Spring 2012 collection at the Ronald Reagan building in a special show to benefit breast cancer research on Friday in partnership with PinkJams!

Accompanied by live music from the Charm City Devils, the event included both fashions shown by cancer survivors who made their way down the catwalk as well as a viewing of Siriano's upcoming collection.

The Annapolis native was happy to breeze back into town to showcase his new designs and raise awareness for this great cause that presented a check to the Capital Breast Care Center for $30,000. Catch up with Christian here:

 

 

 

Countdown to Elisir........week 12

Chef Enzo Fargione

Wolfe! on Wolfe

Tom Wolfe

by contributor Donna Shor
Photo credit: Bruce Guthrie

 The audience at the Newseum was delighted to hear a reading excerpted from Wolfe! the unfinished play about the author Tom Wolfe—and so was Wolfe himself who came down from New York for the event.

Flipping out. Someone's got to do it.

Photo credit: Fritzphotographics.com

Worried you have a hangover and not seeing straight?  It's your lucky day....it's not you ...... that’s Wyclf Jean breaking things up at the 100th Anniversary Gala for the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants at the Mellon auditorium where the Grammy Award winning artist performed. 

BizBash New York Event Style. Don't try it yourself.

Photos by Neshan H. Naltchayan

Anxiety planning a dinner for eight? Imagine your mental state if you have to plan an event for hundreds or thousands.  Enter David Adler, founder and C.E.O. of BizBash Media, the source for event planning and business entertaining in all major cities.

In Washington, we know him as Mr. Dossier, the magazine he founded with his mother Sonia in 1975 and as the son of prolific author Warren Adler whose credits include War of the Roses and Random Hearts, both of which have been made into major motion pictures.