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Brilliant Deduction: Alley’s ‘Sherlock’ Ball a Unique, Memorable Evening

Brilliant Deduction: Alley’s ‘Sherlock’ Ball a Unique, Memorable Evening

Janie Zilkha and Lynn Wyatt

WHAT SHOULD THE theme for the Alley ball this year? Elementary, my dear Watson! The ball, held at the Post Oak Hotel and honoring the lovely Cynthia A. Petrello for her years of support to the theater company and other performing arts in the city, had a unique Sherlock Holmes motif. Not coincidentally, the Alley Theatre has Sherlock Holmes and The Case of The Jersey Lily up on this stage right now.

“Guests walked into the Grand Ballroom staged as an English social club, filled with lush velvets, dark woods, and rich leather,” explained an Alley rep. “The Events Company pulled out all the stops and had guests gasping at an abundance of Vanda Sunada Orchids, Gloriosa Lilies and RP Moab Garden and Symbol Roses mixed with flowing fresh sheet moss, Umbrella ferns and Antique Hydrangeas, all arranged in varying shapes and sizes on banquet-laden tables. The beautiful florals were designed by Walker Chancey. The vivacious energy of the room was palpable.”

Entertainment for the night included an international pick-pocketing star — yes, apparently that’s a thing — who had the audience in stitches when he wasn’t stealing their watches. The surf-and-turf menu of steak, grilled prawns and truffled mashed potatoes was followed by a luscious panna cotta.

Per the custom, the live auction featured over-the-top Broadway weekends, including VIP experiences at Funny Girl; New York, New York; and & Juliet, as well as a trips to Monterey Peninsula for a golf vacation on the Pebble Beach courses. The highest bid of the night was for a walk-on role in the Alley’s annual holiday production of A Christmas Carol.

Bordering on the Fantastic: The Alley Salutes Sherlock Holmes 2023 Alley Ball, chaired by Jill and Allyn Risley, raised more than $1.2 million.

Guests included Beth Madison, Lynn Wyatt, Margaret Alkek Williams, Daniel and Janie Zilkha, Susana Brener de Stern and Dr. Juan Stern, Sidney Faust, Chip Babcock and Nancy Hamilton, Princess Tatiana Galitzine de Sierra and Guillermo Sierra, Dean and Jane Gladden, and Rob Melrose.

Margaret Alkek Williams and David Wuthrich

Cynthia and Anthony Petrello

C.C. Ensell

Sherlock Holmes inspred tablescape by The Events Company

Jill and Allyn Risley

Craig and Angela Jarchow, Eloise and Stephen Brice

Tom Mays and Orlando Zayas

Stephanie and Kevin Yankowsky

Phil and Josephine John, Dean Gladden, Lois and George Stark

Steve and Christina Morse

Jonathan W. and Margaret Vaughan Cox

Suzanne and Siggi Meissner, Dina and Tony Chase

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Exclusive Furniture’s Sam Zavary Credits Luck, Hard Work and ‘Mom’s Prayers’ for His Success

Exclusive Furniture’s Sam Zavary Credits Luck, Hard Work and ‘Mom’s Prayers’ for His Success

How did you get to where you are today? I am a firm believer that hard work and having dreams that you strive to achieve will motivate and inspire people to achieve their potential. Working hard, dreaming, and making sure to take advantage of every opportunity is something I learned at a young age. I credit God and God’s grace firstly, but I know that success is a direct result of hard work. I tell my podcast subscribers and followers to continue setting goals, evolving, improving, and planning, and I practice what I preach. I am proud to have started my business in the fastest growing major city in the United States, and I attribute a lot of the success of Exclusive Furniture to the family culture we create in the best city — Houston’s diversity, philanthropy, and innovation have helped me achieve a lot of the milestones in the furniture business (and the “low prices”) you see today!

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‘Birds, Bugs and Flowers in the Oven!’ Foltz Presents Playful Work by Gardner, Other Texas Artists

Rachel Gardner with her flower necklaces and, at left, Calla Lilly necklace

ON SATURDAY JULY 27, Foltz Gallery presents Endless Summer, a lively, playful exhibit of works by a multi-generational group of 28 emerging and established Texas-based artists. Taking its name from the 1974 Beach Boys double-album, which compiled the group’s early 1960s hit singles, the show is a visual “mixtape” of colorful paintings, prints, photographs, wall-based installations, ceramics and sculptures, installed lovingly throughout Foltz’s spacious and sunlit galleries. Among the works in Endless Summer are several examples of handmade “sculptural jewelry” by artist Rachel Gardner — a series of wearable wildflowers and fruits, including olives and strawberries.

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Reality Star Aesha Scott of ‘Below Deck’ Makes Splash at Rooftop Soirée

Roshan Moayed

Aesha Scott, Jack Vielhauer, Courtney Scott

AFTERNOON SHOWERS DIDN'T stop a gorgeous gaggle of yo-pros and creatives from filling downtown’s Z on 23 rooftop lounge to meet Aesha Scott, the standout star of Bravo’s Below Deck reality show.

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