Shelby About Town

A fairytale wedding in Lisbon, UH professor Nick Flynn's Robert De Niro moment &art bonding stir the social scene

Dr. Jessica Sheets and Dr. Lucho Rossman were married in Lisbon, Portugal.
Courtesy Photo
Mark Wawro and Melanie Gray hosted the dinner following screening of BeingFlynn.
Photo by Thomas Campbell/University of Houston
Artists Taft McWhorter, left, and David Adickes join collector Nikki Hart at thecollaborative art show.
Photo by Morris Malakoff
Kim Padgett, from left, Miya Shay, Jessica Rossman and Gordon Bethune were amongthe scores of Houstonians in Lisbon.
Courtesy Photo
Pestana Palace Hotel in Lisbon was site of the wedding.
Photo by Miya Shay
Debbie Elias and Jason Fuller were among the 100 guests at the SculpturWorxstudio.
Photo by Morris Malakoff
Mike Clark, left, and visits with University of Houston creative writingprofessor Nick Flynn.
Photo by Thomas Campbell/University of Houston

Although they legally tied the knot in February with Justice of the Peace David Patronella presiding, Dr. Jessica Sheets and Dr. Lucho Rossman did the wedding-gown and broom-jumping thing in Lisbon, Portugal, last week with more than 60 friends and family as witnesses and with Gordon Bethune, former Continental Airlines CEO, officiating.

The couple, both radiologists at Methodist Hospital, organized three days of activities surrounding the wedding ceremony including a champagne and port reception in Lisbon, a day tour to the picturesque town of Sintra, a lavish rehearsal dinner and the wedding at the opulent Pestana Palace Hotel.

Presiding over the wedding ceremony was a first for Bethune, long-time squeeze of Rossman's sister Jessica Rossman. A fun aside: They found the broom in hotel housekeeping in order to include that tradition in the ceremony.

Dinner and dancing followed in the adjoining stables (elaborately redesigned for swank soirées) where guests partied late into the night. The celebrants included groomsman Dr. Aashish Shah and wife Roseann Rogers, Miya Shay, Kim Padgett, Brittany Zucker, Sherri Zucker, Laurette Veres, Tom Flynn and a host of docs from Methodist.

Movie and then dinner

Melanie Gray and Mark Wawro welcomed several dozen art and film patrons to their River Oaks home for a swell dinner following screening at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston of Focus Features' Being Flynn, starring Robert De Niro and Julianne Moore. The film is based on a memoir by University of Houston creative writing professor Nick Flynn.

The evening was a collaborative happening, co-hosted by the UH Arts Initiative, the MFAH film department and the Houston Cinema Arts Society. Discussing the film over dinner were Adelaide de Menil, Beverly and Howard Robinson, Raquel Segal, Inprint Inc. executive director Rich Levy and UH creative writing faculty.

Shared canvases an artful twist

The red "sold" dots popped up throughout the night when artists David Adickes and Taft McWhorter hosted the joint exhibition "Come Together" which featured several collaboration pieces and independent works. By night's end the happy artists had sold 14 solo works in addition to the collaborative pieces.

The party action took place at the SculpturWorx studio where 100 fans poured in including MOCAH co-founders Rhonda and Reginald Adams, artist Allan Rodewald, Jason Fuller, Dr. Roland Maldonado, Joel Bickley, artist Chris Silkwood, Pamela Best, Lori Betz, Dr. Michael Yafi, Andy Cordes and Brian Teichman, Elizabeth and Lou Wilson and big-time Taft supporter Nikki Hart.

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No Jetlag

Performing Arts Houston brings Lisbon flair to Kaleidoscope Ball

Photo by Daniel Ortiz

Ben Chavez and Walker Chancey.

Come to Houston, see the world?

Photo by Daniel Ortiz

Ben Chavez and Walker Chancey.

You didn’t need your passport or struggle through hours of meandering TSA lines thanks to Performing Arts Houston’s Kaleidoscope Ball. Off to Lisbon it is — no jet lag for these revelers. Just a hop to Wortham Theater Center.

Themed “Saudade de Lisboa,” the fundraiser leaned into the poetic longing and romance of Portugal’s capital. Chaired by Windy and Warwick King, the evening honored longtime arts champions Ginni and Richard Mithoff.

The scene was set with a transportive, Lisbon-inspired ambiance. City Kitchen’s cuisine nodded to Portuguese flavors, with quail and beef selections alongside curated cocktails. Dessert arrived with a pour of port wine, because subtlety is best served with a flourish.

At the heart of the evening was a shared appreciation for the arts and the people who sustain them. Performing Arts Houston president and CEO Meg Booth captured the tone, noting the “extraordinary generosity and deep commitment” in the room.

The tempo shifter for the After-Party, which turned up the energy with DJ Cory Greene and live entertainment from Breakfast at Tiffany’s, drawing guests onto the dance floor.

The evening ultimately raised $700,000 in support of Performing Arts Houston’s mission, fueling world-class performances and new commissions from Houston artists plus expanded education initiatives.

On the scene were Jay Jones and Terry Wayne Jones, Corina and Armando Perez, Linda and Willie Chiang, Katie Tsuru and Jack Vielhauer, Michele Leal and George Farah, Kathryn and Jeff Smith, Emily Zarcaro and Chris Popov, Kourtney and Vijay D’Cruz, Judy and Scott Nyquist, Chree Boydstun, Trip Carter, Charlene and Tym Tombar, Sarah Morgan and Oscar Brown, Rita Garcia and Sergio Selvera, and Ben Chavez and Walker Chancey.

fundraisers galas