parties

Lance McCullers Jr. and Houston ‘Sweethearts’ Feted at Saks Schmooze

Lance McCullers Jr. and Houston ‘Sweethearts’ Feted at Saks Schmooze

Brigitte Kalai, Ghada Ali, Lance McCullers Jr. and Christine Johnson

OFF-DUTY ASTRO Lance McCullers Jr. was among those honored at the “Houston Sweethearts” event at Saks Fifth Avenue just before Valentine’s Day.

The truly heart-felt annual tradition, always held in early February, offers praise for generous community leaders, and support for the Mission of Yahweh. The annual event was created by Anne Carl, Deborah Duncan, Sylvia Forsythe, Kim Moody, Warner Roberts and Alicia Smith, who were all on hand for this year’s 13th annual celebration.

Pro pitcher McCullers’ fellow 2024 Sweethearts included his wife Tara, who couldn’t make the event as she was home tending to the couple’s new baby daughter, as well as Elsie Eckert, Scott Evans and Stacey Lindseth. The baseball star kindly schmoozed the gathered crowd of about 100.

The Houston Sweethearts Tea took place in Saks’ Designer Rotunda, with new GM Heidi Parkhurst Turney — returning to the Houston store after having served as its assistant manager in the past — offering a kind welcome. “I’m extremely happy to be back in Houston and surrounded by such an incredible group of people,” she gushed.

The Mission of Yahweh has been serving homeless women and children since 1961, according to organizers of the event. Charly Gay, the granddaughter of the founder of The Mission, was on hand to represent the beloved nonprofit. Other VIP guests included Betty Tutor, Brigitte Kalai, Sidney Faust, Cora Sue Mach, Lilly Andress, Christine Johnson, Mary Ann and David McKeithan, Ann Ayre, Nini Hale, Cheryl Byington, Anna Dean, Beth Wolff, Donae Chramosta, Jacquie Baly, Ellie Francisco, Kirk Kveton and Daniel Irion.

Deborah Duncan and Kim Moody

Brigitte Kalai, John Calton and Alicia Smith

Beth Muecke and Stacey Lindseth

Angie Roberts, Lance McCullers Jr and Warner Roberts

Ellie Francisco and Lesha Elsenbrook

Al Lindseth, Stacey Lindseth, Donae Chramosta and Brianna Hurdle

Charly Gay and Pam Lockard

Roz Pastor, Lesha Elsenbrook, Vicki Rizzo and Leisa Holland Nelson Bowman

Stacey Lindseth, Lance McCullers Jr., Elsie Eckert and Scott Evans

Parties
art

From Funky Documentary to Circus and Senior-Citizen Ensembles, Houston’s Fringe Festival Pushes the Envelope

Houston Contemporary Dance Company (Photo by Lynn Lane)

DURING A TWO-DAY celebration Aug. 31-Sept. 1 at MATCH, the 2023 Houston Fringe Festival commemorates 17 years of exploring the outer limits of dance, theater and film. The weekend includes a retrospective screening of Houston filmmaker Jonathan Caouette’s Tarnation, and “Anything Goes,” the festival’s signature mash-up showcase, with performances by Houston Contemporary Dance Company, Cai Circus, performance artist and self-proclaimed “internal humorist” Margo Stutts Toombs, and many other returning and first-time performers. For adventurous Houston theater-goers, or anyone in any field of the arts looking to get out of their comfort zone, the Houston Fringe Festival is a smorgasbord of creative ingenuity, heartfelt vision, and irreverent experimentation.

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Art + Entertainment
news

Legendary Newsman Dave Ward Honored with Roadway Named in His Honor

Mayor Sylvester Turner, Dave Ward and Laura Ward (photo by Catchlight Group)

THE CITY OF Houston has gotten streetwise this summer, having the wisdom to honor legendary broadcaster and media icon Dave Ward with an intersection named in his honor.

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People + Places