Houston Ballet dancers Danbi Kim, Estheysis Menendez, Gian Carlo Perez, and Chase O'Connell
The menu was created by four of the city's top chefs alongside Houston Ballet dancers. Chef Aaron Bludorn and Soloist Danbi Kim opened the night with sesame-crusted Hamachi, inspired by flavors from Kim’s Korean upbringing. Chef Chris Williams and Demi Soloist Estheysis Menendez followed with a rich lobster stew, layered with jalapeño pesto and plantain fufu — a nod to her mother's love of fresh ingredients.
For the main course, Chef Hugo Ortega and Principal Chase O’Connell delivered a smoky Coulotte steak with pasilla mole, inspired by O’Connell’s pre-show steak tradition. Dessert came courtesy of Fluff Bake Bar’s Rebecca Masson and First Soloist Gian Carlo Perez: guava pastries with cream cheese ice cream and a drizzle of honey, reminiscent of Perez’s favorite childhood treat.
Florals by Bergner and Johnson played up the spring party vibe with coral, peach, and pink blossoms, later donated to nonprofit Bloom Again for use in hospitals and care centers.
Guests included Beth Muecke, Patti Murphy, Kristy Bradshaw, Lindsey Brown, Anne and Albert Chao, Jo Furr, Carey Kirkpatrick, Phoebe Tudor and Whitney Lawson.
Ada Agbor and Zoe Cadore
Anne and Albert Chao
Anya and Jeremy Smith, Julie Kent
Bill and Lenni Burke
Chef Hugo Ortega
Michel Coret and Dr. Tatiana Sorkin, Duyen and Marc Nguyen
Denise and Todd Liebl
Edward and Deborah Koehler, Angela Oh and Pekka Kauranen
Ileana and Michael Treviño
Jo Furr and C.C. Conner
Kristy Bradshaw, Jim Nelson, Kelley Lubanko
Shawn Stephens and Jim Jordan
Nancy Gonzalez, Denise Reyes, Christina Jack, Destiny Fernandisse (photo by Emily Jaschke)
Such was exactly the case when Margaret Alkek Williams chaired the Opera Ball at the Wortham Center, raising a record of more than $2 million for Houston Grand Opera — with a romantic, old-school, spring-savvy “Love Is in the Air” theme, brought to life with thousands of fragrant pastel-colored florals at every turn, and a sea of ballgowns in shades of seasonal pink and green. This was the second $2 million+ ball Williams has chaired for HGO, with this year’s haul beating her own personal best from back in 2014.
A surprise highlight of the evening was a stirring performance honoring the gala’s honorees, Dian and Harlan Stai, who have supported the opera company for decades. HGO General Director and CEO Khori Dastoor “welcomed legendary mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade to the stage, where she performed accompanied [on piano] by HGO Artistic and Music Director Patrick Summers,” noted a rep for the company. “Her moving interpretation of Stephen Sondheim’s seminal classic, ‘Send in the Clowns,’ left the audience spellbound.”
Dinner was decadent, with a chilled Romanesco soup, a pairing of prime beef and pan-seared seabass, and a chocolate explosion of a dessert, with bits of fudge cake and chocolate ice cream and mousse, all bursting from a tempered sphere — again, lavishly old school. After dinner, dancing broke out on the gleaming dance floor.
In room full of VIPs, some of the top-tier swells included Anna Dean, Anne and Albert Chao, Betty and Jesse Tutor, Brigitte Kalai, Alicia Smith, Charles and Lily Foster, Cynthia and Tony Petrello, Fady Armanious, Bill Baldwin, Franklin and Cindi Rose, Hallie Vanderhider, Jim and Dancie Ware, Jim and Molly Crownover and Leisa Holland-Nelson Bowman.
Brigitte Kalai, Betty Tutor and Ann Ayre (photo by Michelle Watson)
A greeter in theme-appropriate garb (photo by Michelle Watson)
Ilyas and Elizabeth Abraham (photo by Emily Jaschke)
Patrick Summers, Margaret Alkek Williams and Khori Dastoor (photo by Michelle Watson)
Frederica von Stade (photo by Michelle Watson)
Jim and Dancie Ware (photo by Michelle Watson)
Michael Broderick and Cindy and Franklin Rose (photo by Emily Jaschke)
Harlan and Dian Stai (photo by Emily Jaschke)
Jonathan and Ann Ayre and Rachel and Warren Ellsworth (photo by Michelle Watson)
Rosemin Premji, Jesse Tutor and Farida Abjani (photo by Michelle Watson)
Debbie Festari, Ann Carl, Alicia Smith and Edward Sanchez (photo by Jacob Power)
The event, which featured handsome auctioneer Johnny Bravo dressed in a pink suit and helping raise $36,000 from a Jared Lehr necklace, raised a total of $700,000.
ABC 13’s Gina Gaston served as emcee. Honorees included Myrtle Jones, Leila Perrin, Brandi Sikes, Rick Smith and Gaye Lynn Zarrow.
“Later in the program, previous honoree Janette Marx shared her journey with breast cancer to an attentive room as guests listened in awe,” said a rep for the luncheon’s organizers. “Keynote speaker, Shannon Miller, seven-time Olympic medalist and cancer survivor, closed out the program as she spoke from the heart about her own story of triumph, encouraging guests to overcome any personal challenges.”
Pink Champagne flowed right through lunch, with ended with decadent cheesecake. But the sweetest bit was learning about the impact of the day’s fundraising. Per Jenny Todd, vice president of the American Cancer Society Houston area: “Events like the Tickled Pink Luncheon have led to a 44 percent decline in the female breast cancer death rate by helping to directly fund a cure. In fact, the American Cancer Society is currently investing $84 million in breast cancer-specific research. Fourteen of those grants are right here in Houston, totaling $9 million.”
VIPs guests included Cheryl Byington, Yvonne Cormier, Nancy Dinerstein, Lesha Elsenbrook, Tena Faust, Debbie Festari, Cyndy Garza Roberts, Daniel Irion, Brigitte Kalai, Kirk Kveton, Julie Longoria Chen, Tama Lundquist, DeeDee Marsh, Kim Moody, Patti Murphy, Roz Pactor, David Peck, Amy Pierce, Elizabeth Stein, Phoebe Tudor and Betty Tutor.
Brigitte Kalai, Farida Abjani and Cindy Bendy (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
Sippi Khurana and Phoebe Tudor (photo by Jacob Power)
Brandi Sikes and Leisa Holland Nelson Bowman (photo by Jacob Power)
Ann Bean, Beth Wolff and Kairy Barkley (photo by Jacob Power)
Guest speaker and Olympian Shannon Miller (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
Kelley Lubanko, Sheri Gross, Ellie Francisco, Denise Monteleone and DeeDee Marsh (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
Leila Perrin, Brandi Sikes, Rick Smith, Myrtle Jones and Gaye Lynn Zarrow (photo by Jacob Power)
Jared Lehr (photo by Daniel Ortiz)
Donna Lewis and Christy Lynn (photo by Jacob Power)
