The reveal of this season’s Dallas Symphony Orchestra League debs took place at Stanley Korshak on Thursday, June 6, a little later than usual this year. While it was great not to collide with graduations and other fundraisers, the scheduling resulted in some debs, DSOL presentation emcee Stan Gardner and deb doyenne Barbara Averitt being out of town due to a variety of reasons like summer vacations, camp duties, weddings or business meetings.
Still others interrupted their getaways for the presentation. Amanda and Brint Ryan had just returned from a hiking junket. Alas, Brint, who was still sporting vacation whiskers, reported that they had lost something on their trek. The twosome, it seems, had slimmed down more than ten pounds each.
Lisa Troutt‘s bags had been getting heavy use. She had just returned from a wedding in Beverly Hills. Next on her itinerary was a trip with gal pal Lee Ann White to Capri to celebrate their birthdays on Gene Jones‘ Bravo Eugenia.
2020 deb Eleanor Gambrell was MIA due to her counseling duties at Camp Mystic. But her folks, Elizabeth and Eric Gambrell, were on hand to applaud Eleanor’s deb sisters. Eleanor somehow managed to juggle her counselor duties so she could be the Duchess of Highland Park at La Fiesta de Seis Las Banderas on Saturday, June 15.
Eleanor wasn’t the only deb absent due to camp counseling. While Emily Baschab also was away, tending to her duties at Camp Waldemar, dad John Baschab was present and representing the family very well.
Meantime, Dallas Symphony Orchestra President and CEO Kim Noltemy was enthused about a recent deal calling for oversight of the Meyerson Symphony Center to be transferred from the city to the Dallas Symphony Association. Combining money from the city with additional funds to be raised by the DSA, the new arrangement will allow the association to take care of all the building’s deferred maintenance within six years, Kim said.
When the 190 or so guests finally took their places for the reveal, Korshak headman Crawford Brock and DSOL President Kim Brannon welcomed the moms, dads and friends. They were followed by Ball Chair Melissa Lewis, who revealed that Drs. Linda Burk and John Gilmore would be the 2019 honorary co-chairs and the formal presentation would take place on Saturday, February 8, at the Meyerson.
Then DSOL Presentation Founder Tincy Miller recalled, as is tradition, the origins of the annual fundraiser 34 years ago. Addressing the debs directly, Tincy concluded, “This is your Camelot experience.”
Then, instead of Stan announcing the names, Roger Gault took the microphone to introduce the Assembly and Honor Guard officers and debs. He did a stellar job, too — especially considering he had been “drafted” into the role only the day before!
With Kendra Averitt playing traffic cop at the end of the runway, the debs (Brooke Balthrope, Emily Baschab, Audrey Berner, Emily Isabella Cox, Grace Crenshaw, Gracie Davis, Madelyn Duvall, Maddie Esping, Eleanor Gambrell, Georgia Hallam, Hunter Hart, Kathryn Jones, Izzy Keene, Elizabeth King, Katie Kottwitz, Mary Kumpf, Avery Levoyer, Catherine Magee, Audrey Magnuson, Allie McWhorter, Shelby Nelson, Grace Olson, Annalea Pedigo, Beth Ryan, Kendall Sigel, Margaret Smith, Campbell Swango, Sara Tacito, Julia Tribolet, Savannah Troutt, Brynn Weakley and Genny Wood) were presented.
Then guests either lingered to get to know their fellow deb parents or headed for their cars, only to discover another one of the season’s incessant downpours.
For a look or two of the rest of the debs receiving white roses at Stanley Korshak, check out MySweetCharity Photo Gallery.