When guests disembarked from Sarofim Hall after the concert portion of Bering Omega Community Service's "Sing for Hope" gala Saturday at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, they found that the elegant arrangement of tablescapes from the formal dinner, themed "Take Flight," had evanesced into a haute night club complete with swanky leather seating, sparkling disco balls, thump thumping tunes and plenty of dry ice fog to rouse even the most conservative types to bust a move on the dance floor.
Silently working behind the scenes was an army of event planners that surprised black tie party goers. And that's exactly what after party chairs Christian Alvarado and José Marquez had in mind when planning this swift and covert décor switch, dubbed "Cloud Nine Lounge."
Think plush white love seats, iridescent high tables, video projections, silver vintage airplane centerpieces that orbited electronically, transparent walls brimming with help-yourself hazelnut truffle and tres leches pipettes (hors d'oeuvres) and make-your-own cocktail bars stocked with Bombay Sapphire gin poison. The signature cocktail, the mile high? Irresistible.
Chef David Cordúa, who was honored with his parents, Lucia and Michael Cordúa, kept the food coming with endless trays of light bites that included bacon-wrapped dates, chicken croquettes and little spinach empanadas.
DJ Danny B spun just the right tracks to encourage many ladies and gents, who were joined by the after party young professional crowd, to stay up way past bed time.
Letting loose alongside president Dan Snare and VP of resource development Elizabeth Wilson were Paul Pettie, Deborah Elias, Jeff Shell, Jeff Hoffman, Nick Espinosa and Carlos Meltzer, Rachel Good, Carliss Chatman, Heidi and Steven Skiff, Patty and Eric Evans, Mignon and Kebharu Smith, Kevin and Amy Gordon, Miri Wilkins, Leah Edwards, Ed Chapman, Dr. Edwin Cordray and Lisa Ponder.
Marcus Sloan, from left, Shannon Hall, Christian Alvarado and Jose Marquez at Bering Omega's Sing for Hope after-party.
