Life has been rich for the Houston contingent culturally trekking through New York City in recent days in celebration of the Houston Symphony's Thursday night performance of The Planets — An HD Odyssey at Carnegie Hall.
The well-heeled contingent began their group festivities with a cocktail-attire dinner at the Museum of Modern Art on Wednesday night. The private room of the Modern Restaurant overlooking MOMA's sculpture garden provided a visually rewarding setting for the Maestro & Directors' Dinner attended by close to 60. Spirits ran high among the crowd that saluted music director Hans Graf and special guest Duncan Copp, the producer-director who compiled the NASA photos to accompany Gustav Holst's out-of-this-world work.
Houston Symphony Society president Bobby Tudor, accompanied by his wife Phoebe, was among society executive members attending including Jesse Tutor with wife Betty, Steven Mach with wife Joella, Barbara McCelvey with husband Pat, Richard Hoffert and Gene Dewhurst with his wife, Linda.
The contingent of diners that planned on taking advantage of the full round of parties and tours scheduled before Thursday night's concert were Margaret Williams, Vicki West, Lilly Andress, Tara and David Wuthrich, Beth Madison, Cyvia and Melvyn Wolff, Dr. Kelli Cohen Fein and Martin Fein and Dede and Connie Weil. More than a few in the group had already seen the concert when it debuted at Jones Hall in Houston earlier this month. Yet the excitement prevailed with the Carnegie Hall appearance.
Hit the reset button
The Yao Ming gala, postponed from its original date at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, has been rescheduled. Mark your calendars for the black-tie evening that will now be held on Sunday, March 28. Details are not available but the original plan was for a gala evening benefiting the Yao Ming Foundation and the MFAH. Stay tuned for the 411.
Out of this world
Karen and Byron Hood, Jesse Marion and Linda and Jack Smith of Texarkana are still over the moon following their recent VIP NASA tour where they did everything from exploring the various Mission Control headquarters to investigating a Space Shuttle mock-up. The group took a break for lunch at Frenchy's and then moved on to the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory where they watched the astronauts perform underwater maneuvers before being lifted by crane out of the pool.
The visit was in preparation for the fivesome's trip to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida next month for launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavour. This will be the Hoods' second launch adventure. They were at the space center in November to watch Space Shuttle Atlantis lift off.
Sight 'ems
Hugo's was crawling with notables at dinner earlier this week when we spotted Houston Dynamo Brian Ching, Radio 1560 The Game's Rob Costa, Select Sports Group's Carlos Perez, El Meson restaurant's Peter Garcia and Hahn Family Wines' Kristi Breshears and Hahn president Bill Legion . . .
Political consultant Kathryn McNiel at the Daily Review Cafe where she hosted Mayor Annise Parker's finance chair David Arpin, Fulbright & Jaworski partner Neil Thomas and public relations/marketing whiz Cindy Clifford. It was a thank-you lunch for their work on Parker's inauguration . . .
Houston Children's Charity executive director Laura Ward at Silver Eagle Distributors hospitality room where she expressed grateful thanks to a room full of folks who have supported HCC in a big way. Among those in the crowd were special guests Houston Dynamo Brian Ching — he sure get's around — and Houston Texan Eric Winston plus Assistant Police Chief Vicki King, Patricia and Pat Harrison and a load of generous individuals from BMW Southwest and BMW West.
The Modern Restaurant at the Museum of Modern Art
