With a full moon overheard and temperatures in the mid 40s, nearly 200 guests like Kit Sawers and her daughter/Dallas Symphony Orchestra League Deb Annie Sawers, James Leffler, Barbara and Don Averitt, Marena and Roger Gault and Sara Lee and Stan Gardner arrived at the driveway leading to Lisa and Clay Cooley’s estate on Sunday, December 19. The win by the Cowboys over the Giants just hours before warmed their spirits waiting for the golf carts to transport them to the mansion decked out in white lights. The occasion was the Dallas Symphony Orchestra League’s Debutante Presentation Soiree.
No, it wasn’t the main event. The soiree was just a holiday get-together of parents, debs and Honor Guards who would be at the Meyerson Symphony Center on Saturday, February 12, to benefit the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.
Lisa and Clay were fresh from a brief visit to the Big Apple to pick up youngest child Chance Cooley from his studies at Columbia University and a “chance” to catch a Broadway show. While Lisa had had her heart set on “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical,” Chance got tickets to “The Lehman Trilogy.” Despite not being pleased on missing out on “Tina,” Lisa was amazed at how great Lehman was.
Upon hearing Lisa’s discovery, DSOL Social Chair/DSOL Chair-Elect Cynthia Beaird admitted that she had had some of her best show experiences with unknown discoveries.
DSOL President Venise Stuart reported that she and husband Larry Stuart would also be heading to the Big Apple. But their primary target wasn’t Broadway. Rather, Larry’s “bucket list” was attending the Westminster Dog Show. While the Stewarts have two Bichon Frise and a couple of German Shepherd step pooches, Venise was not revealing which pooch they would be rooting for.
Speaking of productions, Eric Gambrell and Brice Beaird discussed the reason for many productions, both local and Big Applish, being canceled was not due to the audience, but rather the cast. For instance, the Dallas Theater Center’s tradition of “A Christmas Carol” had to be wiped out for that very reason.
While guests toured the home decked out with Santa Clauses and Christmas trees, one couple was spied wondering about the steps leading down to the wine stellar. Instead they headed to the dining room decked out with silver trays and loads of goodies cooked up by Cassandra.
Gloria and Mark Varel were celebrating two years of marriage as well as Mark’s daughter Ella Varel making her debut. Mark admitted that having been married two years amid the pandemic had only brought the former Highland Park High Schoolers closer together.
As guests were shuttled back to their cars, they discovered cookies embossed with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra League logo to provide sweet dreams.