As guests arrived at the entrance of the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center for the annual Dallas Symphony Orchestra Gala Concert and After-Party on Saturday, September 30, they were immediately directed to walk to their left. There, they encountered a tall wall of greenery and white flowers surrounding small windows with gold curtains, and other windows boasting signage of the DSO and the Gala. In the center of the squares was a large blue square with a gold oval surrounding a large round button bearing the whimsical message: “Press for champagne.”
“Don’t look behind the curtain!” laughed DSO Chief Advancement and Revenue Officer Terry Loftis, standing nearby with DSO President and CEO Kim Noltemy.
What an ooh-la-la way to welcome the guests to the fall social season’s first black-tie event, “An Evening In Paris.”
As handlers offered to relieve ladies of their purses while they were photographed against the backdrop, some gals, like Honorary Co-Chair Diane Brierley, declined the offer. After all, the clutches with musical symbols and instruments were part of their ensembles. Why, it would be like separating a bow tie from a tuxedo.
While some guests, like Mary McDermott Cook and Jan Miller, took a pass on the bubbly, a cluster of young pretties couldn’t resist second and thirds (and more) of having their photos taken against the wall.
Pity the poor guests who arrived a minute past 7 p.m. Yes, they had their photos taken against the lovely wall. But, try as they might, the champagne was a no-show despite the number of times they pressed the button. When one observer dared to throw back the gold curtain to learn the reason for the holdup, they discovered no people — but four champagne-filled flutes that weren’t budging on a table across the way.
Business Council for the Arts CEO Stacie Adams arrived just minutes too late for the press-for-champagne, but her perfectly understandable excuse was a previous homecoming engagement.
As guests moved on to gather in the lobby, a couple of breathtakingly illuminated Eiffel Tower replicas towered over the dining room.
Gala Co-Chair Kim Hext was true to her French theme, wearing a white Maticevski gown with a thigh-high slit that she’d picked up in Paris while wedding-dress shopping this past year with her daughter-in-law-to-be Claudia Lode. … Claudia was in Elie Tahari, by the way, while her intended Preston Hext was wearing Tom Ford. … It was the first night out in a long time for Pat and Charles McEvoy following Pat’s hip surgery. She was in Chanel, while Charles’ tux was by Stefano Ricci. … Lisa and Clay Cooley‘s usual Gala dinner companions Tracy and Ben Lange weren’t able to make it this year, due to son Luke Lange‘s Parents’ Weekend at The University of Texas at Austin. Lisa’s gown was by Carolina Herrera. …
Another MIA due to Longhorn activities were the Steves (Steve Solomon and Steve Stodghill), who were in Austin attending the UT football game against the Kansas Jayhawks. But wives Sunie Solomon (in Naeem Kahn with a Judith Leiber clutch) and Anne Stodghill (in Badgley Mischka) weren’t about to miss out on the Gala, and wound up escorting each other. Following the DSO concert, the girls called the Steves, who by then were nearing Dallas, and asked if they wanted to join them at the Mansion. Uh, the invitation was a nice offer, but the boys didn’t think their T-shirts and shorts would fit in. …
As usual, Cece Smith and Ford Lacy were dressed to complement each other, with Ford’s bowtie and cummerbund matching Cece’s Carolina Herrera gown. … Donna Arp Weitzman was in Valentino, while hubby Herb Weitzman grinned and said he got his tuxedo “in Hong Kong, for half price.” … Other guests and their togs included Marena and Roger Gault (Badgley Mischka and Dolce and Gabbana, respectively), Nancy Nasher and David Haemisegger (Oscar de la Renta and Brioni), Mary McDermott Cook (Terri Camarillo), Jane McGarry (vintage Marni) and Kenneth Simmons (in a tuxedo from the Carla Montenengo boutique), Jennifer and Peter Roberts (Christian Siriano and Canali), Monica Christopher (in a Moroccan-themed Etro) and Jeff Rich (Alexander McQueen white sneakers).
Following dinner, the guests adjourned to the McDermott Concert Hall for a program with Fabio Luisi conducting the DSO. The Gala program featured mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard making her DSO debut, singing selections from Bizet’s “Carmen,” and pianist Emanuel Ax performing some of Chopin’s favorites.