Spoleto Party Blog

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Wed., May 28, 2008. 10 pm. Party for Imani Winds and Festival Concert featuring composition of Andrew Newman. South Battery home of Drayton and Kat Hastie.

Hanging with a group of fans in the stair hall walk, Imani Winds oboist Toyin Spellman-Diaz was explaining that, no, this wasn’t a sideline.

“Actually, this is my job,” she said.

Well if the whole globetrotting musicians thing doesn’t pan out for the Imani quintet, clarinetist Mariam Adams seems ready to take over my job.

“Who are you and why are you dressed so fabulous?” she said to a young man in a bright orange jacket and matching streak of hair.

Answers: Jeffery Rhodes, and because he’s the representative of host Kat Hastie’s artwork, which was hung all over the ballroom, a la the Barnes Collection.

Through his roving Margo Kaufman Gallery (named after his grandmother, the business card features the only picture of her to survive Katrina) Rhodes also sells Townsend Davidson, David Boatwright, Tim Hussey and more. And last night he was also showing work by Stella Nova hair salon. (The streaks often compliment the colors in shows. And no it didn’t show up in the picture.)

There was nothing else artificial about this event. No theme, no tricks. The signature cocktail was Crane Lake wine. You don’t really need to try and wow people when your house has been in the family since 1874 and you have a ballroom.

Mediterra Catering brought pork tenderloin on white beans, chicken and tuna skewers, melon wrapped in prosciutto, miniature cheesecakes.

As things wound down and the room cleared out, Kat’s daughter Eugenia Payne was casing the spread.

“I need to pack a lunch for tomorrow,” she said.

Payne was pumped about Charleston’s own Jack Hitt’s little-mentioned visit to Piccolo. Hitt is a regular contributor to Harper’s and The New York Times Magazine. He’s the one who told the story on This American Life about the fiasco production of Peter Pan in Sewannee, Tenn., that ends with one of the lost boys falling from the ceiling and breaking his leg.

Speaking of public radio, Performance Today commentator Miles Hoffman was on hand. He seemed a little disappointed that his name wasn’t easily recognized. Fair enough, I mean, the guy spends all year in relative anonymity up in Spartanburg, he can a least expect a little love at a Spoleto party for a classical concert featuring four conductors (John Kennedy, Emmanuel Villaume, Joseph Flummerfelt, and the lovely Kathryn Voelker, of the Eastman School).

Hoffman carefully explained the difference between NPR and American Public Media. NPR is All Things Considered. APM is Perf. Today and Prairie Home Companion.

But which one is Delicious Dish?

Party Index: 

Weather: Rain

Spoleto Orchestra Members: 2 that I found, and they were actually in management.

Where the SFO hangs, according to them: The Kickin’ Chicken.

Cheeses: Blue and Goat, as pointed out by Pam and Stan Kaplan, whom I met at the Ballet party. They wanted to know what the Boom-Boom Room was like and where it was.

The Boom-Boom Room isn’t a place, Stan. It’s a state of mind.