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    Shelby About Town

    Vince Young is the star attraction at teen's birthday bash, Andrew Luck & MattSchaub both dine at Tony's and La Griglia rocks

    Shelby Hodge
    Dec 18, 2012 | 4:28 pm
    • Liliana, from left, Vince Young, Amanda, Justin Smith and Shelbie at Justin'srollicking 16th birthday bash.
      Photo by © Fulton Davenport/PWL Studio
    • Only the night before getting sacked here at Reliant Stadium on Sunday, AndrewLuck and teammates dined a Tony's.
      Photo by Michelle Watson/CultureMapSnap
    • Justin Smith, left, and Roberto Clemente Jr. at the Pearland party.
      Photo by © Fulton Davenport/PWL Studio

    The beef was on the table and at the table in Tony's over the weekend when five members of the Indianapolis Colts including rookie quarterback Andrew Luck sat down for dinner Saturday at a table in the main dining room.

    The big guys ordered veal chop, prime truffle filet and puntarelle salad (a fave with Andrea Bocelli) and waded through a carbs-packed pasta tasting. No liquor and no dessert, thank you. The guys probably should have indulged in the famed Grand Marnier soufflé. The sugar boost might have helped their Sunday score.

    If timing is everything, imagine the kerfuffle that could have erupted had Houston Texans quarterback Matt Schaub and wife Laurie had dinner at Tony's on Saturday rather than as they did on Friday. The duo had a table for two in the middle of the dining room.

    A sporting sweet 16

    Justin Smith has to be the envy of the entire Pearland community after the 16th birthday bash that his parents, Alicia and Lance Smith, gave for the teen in their Brittany Estates home. The sports-themed party (think University of Texas everything) featured two heroes of the playing field and three hotties.

    "He was all smiles when the three Texans cheerleaders arrived," Alicia emailed, "and over the moon when Vince Young walked in! Throw in a video birthday wish from Dikembe Mutombo (who was unable to attend as he was in route from Los Angeles to Atlanta) and add Roberto Clemente Jr. and his fiancé Melissa Lima to the mix and he was pretty much walking on air."

    Justin and 75 of his friends romped through a teenage playground complete with an entrance gate following the Longhorn theme, a mechanical bull, jousting station, photo booth, DJ and a light show. The only gifts greater for Justin than the generosity of his adoring parents were the Vince Young-autographed football and the Roberto Clemente T-shirt.

    Sight 'ems

    Movers and shakers stirring the pot at La Griglia on Monday included State Sen. John Whitmire, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's regional director Jason Fuller, Italian Consul General Fabrizio Nava, auto magnate Alan Helfman, Civil District Court Judge Al Bennett, Republican actiivist Suzanne Feather, PR whiz Cindy Clifford and former Channel 13 investigative reporter Wayne Dolcefino, who recently started his own boutique PR firm.

    unspecified
    news/society

    BOOTS & BALLET

    Houston Ballet kicks off 2026 season with Texas-themed fundraising dinner

    Gabi De la Rosa
    Sep 16, 2026 | 12:31 pm
    Houston Ballet season opener
    Photo by Michelle Watson, CatchLight Group
    Honorees Hugh and Carroll Ray and Opening Night Onstage Dinner chairs Kris and Richard McGee.

    This year, ballet aficionados swapped formal attire for cowboy boots, hats, and fringe as they filled the Wortham Theater Center for Houston Ballet's 2026-27 season opener, a triple bill including George Balanchine’s Symphonie Concertante, Lar Lubovitch’s Meadow, and the revival of Stanton Welch’s Pecos Bill. The Western-inspired looks were a nod to the highly anticipated production, which brought a fun Texas twist to the ballet's annual onstage dinner.

    The evening began with Michele Leal, the City of Houston’s director of the Office of Arts, reading a proclamation from Mayor John Whitmire naming September 11, 2026, Houston Ballet Day. The celebratory moment was followed by a pause for silence in remembrance of those lost on 9/11, before the orchestra launched into a spirited rendition of the national anthem.

    The crowd gave a hats-off ovation to Kris and Richard McGee, who chaired the event, which raised more than $320,000 for the Houston Ballet. Co-artistic director Julie Kent honored Carroll and Ray Hugh for more than 40 years of generosity and for helping to inspire and sustain an appreciation for dance in Houston.

    Immediately after the performance, the curtains rose to welcome dinner guests to the opening-night onstage dinner. Completely transformed by Bergner and Johnson Design, the space drew inspiration from Pecos Bill and Texas's natural landscape. Tablescapes included denim, taupe linens, and red gingham napkins set off by centerpieces featuring a colorful bounty of flowers.

    Guests kicked off their Texas-themed meal, prepared by City Kitchen, with a seasonal salad, followed by a main course of beef short rib served with Yukon Gold potato mash, oven-roasted okra, and buttermilk biscuits. Dessert was a classic chocolate pecan tart paired with vanilla bean gelato.

    Boot-wearing VIPs included Kris and Richard McGee; Carroll and Hugh Ray; Sonja Kostich; Julie Kent; Stanton Welch AM; Chad Libertus; Stephanie Tsuru; Melza and Ted Barr; C.C. Conner and David Groover; Jo Furr; Margaret Alkek Williams; David Wuthrich; Bill Stubbs and Kurt Grether; Rose Cullen; Leigh and Reggie Smith; Ileana and Michael Treviño; Shawn Stephens and Jim Jordan; Margaret Cox; Deborah Keyser and James Stafford; Allison and Troy Thacker; Jay Jones and Terry Wayne Jones; Jennifer and Chris Laporte; Leigh and Chris Joseph; Michele Leal; Angie Matula; Akemi Saitoh; Marguerite Swartz; Jerry Ann Woodfin-Costa; Mignon and Steve Gill; Susan and Gary Binney; Christine and Paul Sofka; Sharon Roark; Leslie Alston; Michael Zenker; Michelle Iversen Jeffery; Timothy Wampler; Beth Muecke; Rochelle and Andrew Deiso; Kent Schaffer; Sasha Davis and Geoffrey Oshman; Kevin Potter; Jean and Henry May; Helen and Jim Shaffer; Rini and Edward Ziegler; Erin Patak and Alejandro Aballay; Mitchell George and Stanley Curtis, Jr.

    Houston Ballet season opener 2026

    Photo by Michelle Watson/CatchLight Group

    Honorees Hugh and Carroll Ray and Opening Night Onstage Dinner chairs Kris and Richard McGee.

    harper watterspecos billhouston performancehouston balletfundraisers
    news/society
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