Art Party
Young Professionals turn a ballet stage into a Michael Jackson dance party —Thriller mob included
The stage of the Houston Ballet Center for Dance's black box theater was home to a different type of artsy gathering Saturday night. It may be where the company refines its gestures, but on this evening it was where the tunes of Lady Gaga, Guns N' Roses and Michael Jackson inspired young professionals and friends to bust a move — in between sampling performance vignettes from downtown's Theater District organizations.
As if anyone could resist the urge to join in an impromptu "Thriller" synchronized mob. That would be the doing of DJ James Reed — and the flowing open bar outfitted with Saint Arnold Brewing Co. suds.
As if anyone could resist the urge to join in an impromptu "Thriller" synchronized mob.
Houston Downtown Alliance's "Raising the Curtain" evening, presented by Capital One Bank, was the overture to Theater District Open House on Sunday, a free day-long event that teases guests with what's on tap for the 2012-13 season. The cocktail affair honored former Houston Ballet managing directorC.C. Conner and Thompson & Knight attorney/HDA board chair Geoff Long.
Houston Ballet II's elegant and poised pas de deux from Sylvia enchanted the more than 300 patrons. Though it was Houston Grand Opera heartthrob baritone Liam Bonner whose animated aria Largo al factotum from Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia turned on the heat.
HDA's Andrew Huang tickled the ivories and accompanied chanteuse Lena Asinovsky in "Someone Like You" from Jekyll and Hyde, set to run at Theatre Under the Stars Oct. 9-21. Closing the live entertainment was Divisi Strings.
Amid tasting sweet and savory treats from Sambuca, guests posed for the Monsterbooth and a red carpet photo station by Cadillac and captured mementos of this lively party.
Getting a taste of downtown Houston's cultural scene were Cadillac's Jenny McNeil, Nic Phillips, Michael Coppens, Heather Pray, Karl Lin, HGO's Perryn Leech, Downtown District executive director Bob Eury and his wife Gayle, Da Camera's Sarath Rothenberg and Leo Boucher, Alley Theatre's Dean Gladden, 20K Group's Courtenay Siegfried, Christina Gorczynski, Leila Khaleghi, Laura Medard, Houston Symphony's Glenn Taylor and Holly Cassard, Jen Pearsall, Fash Barvarz, Nels Hansen, Jaime Fruge and Joseph West.
