For the first time, the cancer-fighting Alcides E. Rosaura Diniz Foundation hosted a gala at the Astorian. Ana Paola Diniz, who lost her father Alcides to Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2006, praised MD Anderson, the night’s beneficiary, for its dedication. … Meanwhile, Catholic Charities’ “happy”-themed 75th annual Spirit of Charity event did indeed bring smiles to many faces. The evening, held at the Marriott Marquis, raised $1 million. … This year’s Lyndon Baines Johnson Moral Courage Award dinner honored President George W. Bush for his lifelong commitment to service and country. The total till doubled the previous record, coming in at $4.2 million. … In addition to celebrating the induction of five new members of the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame, the Lone Star Flight Museum’s Flights of Fancy event garnered $700K for the museum. … And the 30th annual Goodwill Gala was the organization’s most successful ever, with more than 400 black-tie-clad guests — including Simone Biles and her family, guests of board member Leisa Holland Nelson — partying for a cause at the River Oaks Country Club.
MICHELLE REYNA WYMES, a distinguished name in the Houston real estate market, is the owner of the successful boutique brokerage, Reyna Group. Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Michelle has deep-rooted connections to the community she serves with dedication and pride.
At 40 years old, Michelle has carved out a significant niche in the competitive world of Houston real estate. Reyna Group, under her leadership, boasts a team of 25 highly skilled agents who collectively cover the extensive Houston area, Galveston, the Hill Country, and Mexico. Reyna Group is renowned for its client-centric approach, ensuring that every transaction is handled with the utmost care and professionalism.
"Our goal at Reyna Group is to provide unparalleled service to our clients," Michelle asserts. "We believe in building lasting relationships based on trust, the utmost level of care during each transaction, and stellar results.
With her unwavering commitment to excellence and a forward-thinking approach, Michelle is poised to continue leading the Reyna Group to new heights. Her story is a testament to what passion, hard work, and a client-first mindset can achieve in the dynamic world of real estate.
At 83, Twyla Tharp Still Creates Work for No One But Herself — She Twirls Into Houston Sept. 28
CHOREOGRAPHER TWYLA THARP has been celebrating 60 years as a dance-maker with a coast-to-coast tour that brings her company to Texas this month, with performances in Dallas, San Antonio, Austin and, on Saturday, Sept. 28, at the Wortham Theater Center presented by Performing Arts Houston.
Along with Isadora Duncan, Martha Graham, and Trisha Brown, Tharp belongs to the pantheon of modern-era American choreographers who transcended the limits placed on women in their respective eras and pushed the domain of dance into uncharted territory. That we are the beneficiaries of such innovation is not lost on Tharp. “When I began, you were either a ballet dancer or a modern dancer,” says Tharp. “I helped make it possible to be both.” Now 83, Tharp could certainly rest on her laurels, but she continues to create new works that are as engaging for audiences as they are physically demanding for her dancers.
Saturday’s program includes Ocean’s Motion, a work for five dancers Tharp created in 1975 and set to the music of Chuck Berry. Rock and roll in the 1950s heralded a period of wild rhythmic experimentation, and it was the music Tharp heard as a studious but inwardly rebellious teenager over loudspeakers while working in her parents’ drive-in movie theater. “It’s more the energy and commitment behind the rhythms that drives the movement,” says Tharp when asked if rock provides a unique groove for her choreography. Rock music, specifically the music of The Beach Boys, sound-tracked Tharp’s 1973 breakthrough collaboration with the Joffrey Ballet, Deuce Coupe, which ingeniously amalgamated the steps of classical ballet with the equally demanding movements of modern dance.
But Tharp has always drawn inspiration from a variety of musical genres, including ragtime, minimalism, and for the 2024 Brel, also on the program for Saturday, the gut-wrenching chanson of Belgian singer and provocateur Jacques Romain Georges Brel, better known as Jacques Brel. In Brel, the audience bears witness to a lone, heroic dancer, “no longer young,” yet infused with the fire and wisdom one can only gain with the passage of time. “He is a man who experiences things deeply,” says Tharp. The work is in five parts, each choreographed to a live recording of Brel singing some of his most beloved songs. (And yes, “Ne me quitte pas” is one of them, so bring your hankies.)
“Brel was an extraordinary performer,” says Tharp. “Nobody ever sang his songs with as much intelligence and passion. This is true of Chuck Berry as well and is one of the reasons I like to pair Ocean’s Motion with Brel.”
Rounding out Saturday’s show is The Ballet Master (2024), with contrasting music by the Dutch contemporary composer Simeon ten Holt and Baroque master Antonio Vivaldi used to great effect. The nearly 30-minute theatrical work humorously unpacks the choreographic process and features longtime Tharp dancer John Selya, 54, as a thoroughly seasoned choreographer desperately trying to create a new dance and maintain some control over the creative process. From the very beginning of her career, humor has been an essential element in Tharp’s choreography. So, is it a challenge to get her dancers to be comfortable with looking awkward or goofy onstage? “Humor comes from control,” says Tharp. “Not the opposite.”
In her autobiography, When Push Comes to Shove, Tharp describes the morning after the premiere of her very first dance, Tank Dive (1965), when she raced out to get a copy of The New York Times and was stunned and disappointed to see the work had not been reviewed. Later, she realized this was a good thing.
“There was no financial remuneration and little attention paid to me those first five years,” writes Tharp. “So I simply went on asking myself, ‘Do you want to do this, or don’t you?’” Sixty years later, it’s a question Tharp still asks herself. She’s also just fine with the idea of creating work without the expectations of an audience in mind.
“This is the only way to approach work,” says Tharp. “Meeting expectations can be accomplished through effort and having chops, but ultimately, you judge your own work.”
New Italian Resto in Rice Village Dishes 100-Layer Lasagna and Retro-Cool Vibes
IT WAS LOVE at first bite of the tender, housemade pasta — think mushrooms, garlic and hints of lemon and white wine — at the preview party of new Milton’s in Rice Village, which officially bows Sept. 27.
The convivial American trattoria is the brainchild of Houston restaurateur Benjy Levit (Benjy’s, Local Foods, Lee’s Den, Maximo), culinary director Seth Siegel-Gardner, exec-chef Kent Domas and the Local Foods Group. Milton’s, named after Benjy’s late father, resides in the former Eau Tour space above Local Foods.
If you’ve followed the Houston dining scene long enough, you know that if Levit’s concepts need tweaking, he will quickly pivot. "We wanted to create an intimate space where people can come together to meet old friends and make new ones," says Levit. "Reflecting back to the golden age of gathering, our team has worked tirelessly to create an elegant yet unpretentious dining experience with comforting shareable dishes and incredible drinks evoking subtle nostalgia.”
Craveable starters include the Tigelle Platter with baked-to-order Emilia Romagna-style stamped flatbreads and salumi, house pickles, or chicken liver mousse with whipped ricotta. Three-day-fermented sourdough garlic knots with burrata and fresh shaved truffles; and rocket and parsley salad with Parmesan, warm guanciale, and lemon also hit the spot.
A scratch-made pasta program is at the heart of the menu, and you can really taste the freshness. Options include pillowy ricotta gnocchi with cacio e pepe; Bolognese with rigatoni, sherry and Parmesan; and agnolotti del plin stuffed with mortadella and prosciutto. Chicken Parmesan will be a staple, alongside eggplant and veal Parmesan options, and luxurious 100-layer lasagna will feature unique fillings changing weekly. We look forward to the towering tiramisu with made-in-house coffee liqueur as our sweet finale.
Highlights of the bar program by beverage director Máté Hartai (Refuge, Tongue Cut Sparrow) include Milton’s Martini with Barolo Chinato, dry vermouths, and London dry gin, kissed with champagne bitters; The 77 Beige, whiskey and Benedictine enhanced with sesame and brown butter; and Caffe Incoretto, a riff on the classic espresso and liqueur drink. Hartai also makes Rubycello with Texas Ruby Red grapefruit in a limoncello treatment and as the star of a highball with Cocchi Rosso and rosé bubbles.
Rather sip vino? Expect Old and New World options and some fun and funky bottle and by-the-glass selections at various price points.
To create the warm interiors, Brittany Vaughan of Garnish Design leaned away from classic trattoria colors and motifs, choosing a preppy color palette of Irish green and golden yellow. An 11-seat Brunswick-styled bar leads to the open kitchen and roomy plush banquettes welcome guests for a leisurely supper. Mahogany accents throughout the dining room channel a New England yacht club, with brass lighting fixtures completing the 60-seat space. An enclosed patio will serve as a private dining room for intimate gatherings.
Vaughan is also spearheading the revamp of adjoining concept Lee’s Den, expected to open this winter as an elegant speakeasy tucked away amongst the canopy of surrounding trees. Cocktails, wine, and small bites will be on offer.
Gnocchi
Tiramisu
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