Post-Game Report - Part Deux

Continuing yesterday's Post-Game Party Report...

Troy Schumacher, choreographer of the Satellite Ballet, hosted an evening of new performances at the Baryshnikov Arts Center:Troy is a dancer at the New York City Ballet (can't you tell by his perfect posture?) and started Satellite Ballet in 2010. I loved seeing the dancers up close in a relaxed studio atmosphere. Satellite Ballet will debut two ballets and one vocal work in NYC this fall. After the terrific teaser I saw last week, I'll definitely be there for their fall show.

I saw super tenor Juan Diego Flórez in Le Comte Ory at The Met (his high Cs make my heart sing!). I sat in the 2nd row of the Grand Tier and was happy as a clam -- the sightline and the sound rocked:Le Comte Ory is a comedic opera, and this staging made it laugh out loud funny -- there was a lot of cross-dressing and even a ménage a troi scene(!).

Speaking of laugh out loud funny, Chappy and I saw The Book of Mormon on Broadway:This farcical musical is the brainchild of South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker. They describe the show as "an atheist's love letter to organized religion". The show is so politically incorrect and the song titles are so risque that many of them cannot be printed in the Playbill. But it was pretty darn funny - four letter words, offensive content, and all.

I went to the premiere of Die Walküre, the second opera in Wagner's Ring Cycle, at The Met. Robert Lepage's ambitious staging and the helical, mechanized, multi-planked "machine" that dominates the stage made for one very entertaining evening.

The opera is 5.5 hours long - that's L-O-N-G even for this opera buff - and by the end of the second intermission my box was getting a little bit punchy. A few of us took a Viking helmet cookie from a private reception and had Brünhilde wear it as a beret:But after 5.5 hours of magical music - James Levine and the orchestra sounded sublime and tenor Jonas Kaufman sounds as gorgeous as he looks - the entire house gave the company a thunderous standing ovation:
The Young New Yorkers for the Philharmonic had a private Chamber Music performance and reception at the home of one of its board members. Violinist Lisa Kim and Violist Robert Rinehart played in the living room of this posh apartment overlooking Central Park:It was an intimate, enjoyable way to hear the music, and I always love seeing musicians do their thing up close. Our favorite piece was Handel's pretty Passacaglia in G minor.

And this was my far less inspiring view mid-week - the recovery room at HSS:I had an epidural steroid injection in my neck for this pesky, persistent herniated disc pain. It's quite an unpleasant procedure, but I'd tried everything else from acupuncture to a dozen different medications with no success. Now I'm just relaxing and recovering.

Here's hoping for pain in the neck free music, theatre, art, and parties next week...

Post-Game Party Report

I'm waaaay late on this post-game party report, but here are some belated highlights from the last 2 weeks...

We went to Ralph Lauren's gorgeous, new Beaux-Arts mansion for an 'In the Spirit of St. Barths' book party. The space is so chic and pretty, and I got to wear my springy outfit from Kate Spade:Later that night was a dinner for the Women's Campaign Forum, a non-partisan organization that provides women with resources for winning political offices.

My husband and his friend Henry Lambert co-hosted the dinner (thanks for supporting such a great cause boys!), and guests included columnist Geraldine Fabrikant and restaurateur Danny Meyer.

Here I am with the chef for the evening, Nick Anderer of Maialino:That lamb tasted just as delicious as it looked.

Chef Nick's menu - the spaghetti with black pepper and pecorino was my favorite dish:
I went to the 21st Annual Spring Environmental Lecture and Luncheon at the Museum of Natural History. In the panel discussion before lunch I enjoyed learning all about urban gardening - on rooftops, in vertical spaces, etc.

I've loved the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life - aka the whale room - since I was a kid. It was a lovely setting for lunch:With my table-mate, the awesome Alison Minton:
I saw Tomorrow Morning, a new musical playing off Broadway at the York Theatre Company in midtown:The show is about two couples, one on the verge of a divorce and one about to get married. The storyline weaves back and forth through time between the two couples falling in and out of love. I loved Matthew Hydzik's performance - he is one talented singer.

The Society of Memorial Sloan-Kettering held a special shopping event at David Yurman's Upper East Side store to kick off their 4th Annual Spring Ball.

The crowd at David Yurman's sleek boutique (including Tory Burch on the left):At the event with Heather Leeds, the President of the Society of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center:
Chappy and I saw Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo:Robin Williams stars in this intense, provocative play about the war in Iraq. It's a heavy evening of theatre, but we both thought it was powerful and worth seeing.

And lastly, a cute photo of us, taken by Bill Cunningham at the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House gala, ran in last Sunday's 'Evening Hours' column in the New York Times:

Bermuda Snaps

A few snaps from my long weekend in Bermuda...

The water around the island is bright blue and extra turquoise. The sand is white, and for most of our trip there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was quite a sight.

This is Horseshoe Bay Beach, a popular spot for locals and tourists alike:
Unfortunately there was a whole lot of this going on in the ocean:So we stuck to the pool when we wanted to go swimming and just strolled along the beach.

We walked/hiked along the old Railway Trial up to Gibb’s Hill Lighthouse:That's the oldest cast-iron lighthouse in the world, and there were sweeping, impressive views of island and the ocean from up top.

We went tasting and shopping at the Bermuda Rum Cake Company:These fruity, dense, pound cake-esque pastries are soaked in/baked with Goslings Black Seal Rum. I sampled the coconut and chocolate flavors before settling on the 'Swizzle' - named after potent local fruit punch cocktail. That was one fine rum cake.

And because you know I can't/won't say no to a museum, Bermuda's Maritime Museum:
It's all hip to jet around Bermuda on a scooter (...and I've even got my motorcycle license in the US), but me and my lame-o herniated disc took the bus to get around instead:Since I'm still walking/moving like Robocop I figured this was the safer, slower way to go.

We browsed the shops in downtown Hamilton:I liked the Irish Linen Shop with its delicate hand towels and embroidered pillowcases, and my travel mate liked Astwood Dickinson's well-curated jewelry selection.

A Dark 'n' Stormy from our hotel's bar:Cheers to Bermuda and its national drink!

Monty Monday - Easter Photos

Here are a few of the adorable Easter photos of Monty. They were taken by Colin Livingston at Village Critter Outfitter, and donations were collected for Strays and Others, Inc.

Monty, with oversize flowers, Easter eggs, and a jellybean bandana:

He liked the Springy, bright neckerchief:

Monty, working the three quarter turn:

Perfecting the fine art of lounging while modeling:

And here's a behind the scenes shot that I snapped. Monty was captivated by the photographer's rubber squeaky toy:
If you're interested in seeing all of Colin's photos of Monty, click here. I hope you and yours had a very happy Easter!

Lenox Hill Neighborhood House benefit

Last night we went to the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House annual benefit at Cipriani in midtown:LHNH provides an extensive array of human services—social, educational, legal, health, housing, nutritional and fitness—which significantly improve the lives of 20,000 people in need each year on the East Side of Manhattan. It's a cause we're happy to support.

The Cipriani space is a giant, old bank. They've still got the marble counters and brass railings in place.

That set up makes for a good photo op:A highlight of this party is seeing the creative, fun table settings done by prominent designers. The artists pick the design scheme, the linens, the centerpiece, the flowers, and so on. There were some pretty fabulous tables last night...

Tyler Taylor Interiors, complete with a glowing Eiffel Tower:
Hot pink, floral, and fabulous - Eddie Ross for Carleton V:
I missed the name of designer here, but I dug the pink and green ladies atop the place settings -- Bill Cunningham (on the left) did too:
Kathryn Greeley's delightful dog topiary:
Lynde Easterlin's Triple Crown table:
Metallic melon colored linens - Elizabeth Pyne for McMillen, Inc:
Elegant, chic Calla Lillies - Roric Tobin for Geoffrey Bradfield:
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti - Lindsey Coral Harper Interior Design:
Tobi Fairley's soft, pretty pastels:
Design chairman Chris Spitzmiller's Taj Mahal theme:Emboldened by a Bellini (or three), we donned the headpieces from Chris's table...

We're doing our part to make turbans trendy:For more information on the charity, please visit the Lenox Hill Neighborhood House website.

The Reefs - Bermuda

I'm just back from a lovely long weekend in Bermuda.

We stayed at The Reefs and had a sunny, relaxing, happy time there.

The peach-colored property is perched right on the side of a cliff in Southampton - there are open, gorgeous sea views from almost every room.

The Reefs, from the main road:
Each of the guestrooms has a nautical name like Hard-A-Lee or Main Sail. I was in 329, aka Night Watch:Perhaps they knew I have insomnia?

The rooms were comfortable and understated. Here's my bedroom:
And seating area:
And my glorious sunny balcony with its water view:We enjoyed spa treatments in the hotel's Le Serena Spa. I particularly enjoyed my Thai massage -- I felt 2 inches taller after all that stretching.

Afterward we chilled out in the spa's 'relaxation area':
The weather was perfect - 72 and sunny - but the ocean was a little too chilly and a little too filled with jellyfish for swimming.

Thankfully the hotel's pool and hot tub were just right:
And I know Bermuda is not the Caribbean, but I couldn't resist one beachside, tropical Pina Colada the last afternoon:Cheers to The Reefs!