parties

Symphony Supporters Party with Marilyn and Audrey, Raise $1.1 Mil

Johnny Than
Symphony Supporters Party with Marilyn and Audrey, Raise $1.1 Mil

Bill Stubbs, Betty Tutor and Kurt Grether

THE HOUSTON SYMPHONY ushered in Hollywood’s Golden Age at its annual black-tie gala, this year chaired by Brigitte Kalai, Farida Abjani, Cheryl Boblitt and Bill King.

The 400-plus guests arrived via a red carpet, dotted with 1920s-era photographers and reporters giving paparazzi vibes. Once inside the Post Oak Hotel, attendees mingled with Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe — courtesy of J&D entertainment — with wine in hand. (The Rydman family of Spec’s fame selected the evening’s pairings.)

Chef Jean-Luc Royere prepared mouthwatering, inventive hors d’oeurves — risotto lollipops, pan-seared crab cakes — and an excellent dinner of herb-roasted tenderloin and shrimp with a black-truffle-potato purée.

Another red carpet led from dinner tables to the black-and-white dance floor, above which Justin and the Swing Beats played from a bandstand. The night brought in $1.1 mil for the Symphony’s community and educational programming.

Tammie and Andy Johnson

Anne and Albert Chao

J&D Entertainment

Bill King, Cheryl Boblitt, Brigitte Kalai, Fardia Abjani and John Mangum

Miya Shay and Roslyn Bazelle

Margaret Alkek Williams and Hallie Vanderhider

Eric and Lisa Lindsey

Sparkling dessert

Gretchen and Jay Watkins

Leslie Siller and Cynthia Wolff

Laurie and Tracy Krohn

Korrine and James Whipkey

Barbara Burger and Ian Mayton

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Parties
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Cheech Marin and Other Legends Toast Rothko Chapel and the Power of Art at Lively 'Inspirit' Fundraiser

David Ansell, Bennie Flores Ansell, Thuy Tran and James Tiebout

THE ROTHKO CHAPEL held its Inspirit fundraiser — a celebration of the power of art and activism — at the industrial-chic Astorian. The evening featured cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and an onstage conversation with actor Cheech Marin, one of the world’s foremost collectors of Chicano art; 2023 Art League of Houston Texas Artist of the Year Vincent Valdez; and legendary civil rights advocate Dolores Huerta, who co-founded the United Farm Workers of America with César Chávez. (She’s 93, by the way!)

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Art + Entertainment
film

Chicano Activist and Actor Cheech Marin Finds Himself at Home in Houston

Cheech Marin reflecting outside of The Cheech (photo by David Fouts)

WHEN YOU TALK to Los Angeles-born actor Cheech Marin, regardless of how serious the subject, you can’t help but smile. His pop-culture presence is infused with an astute awareness of politics and history, and a “can do, make do, find a way to move ahead” spirit he connects to the word “Chicano,” a derogatory term that came to signify resilience, creative thinking, and social consciousness. “My dad, who died at age 93, always described himself as a Chicano, because it described him,” says Marin.

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Art + Entertainment