Darjeeling Unlimited

May 26, 2008 – 12:34 pm

Siddhartha sleeping on the PiazzaSunday, May 25, Party for Shantala Shivalingappa and Boston Ballet, Leslie Turner’s home, Society St.

  “Well originally I guess we came here on a spiritual journey but that didn’t really pan out.”

– Owen Wilson as Francis Whitman in The Darjeeling Limited.

Try and spot the intrepid party reporter with Shantala Shivalingappa and her musicians and crew

No such misguided pretensions last night, which skipped the Pray and went straight for Eat and Love. In fact, host Leslie Turner told her friend Trae Wilson of Granville’s Catering that she didn’t care about the food so long as they didn’t run out of liquor.

            “I still don’t know what the menu is,” she said at midnight. (l-r) Mikko Nissinen, Leslie Turner, Nathalie Naylor, Nigel Redden

            Getting there before the crowd, one could see the bones of the party were a study in planned debauchery. Turner and her co-hosts Lee Van Allen and Nathalie Naylor went Hindu with sparkly bindis on their brows. There were two bars at either end of a small yard, flower petals strewn about the piazza, and a California king bed hanging from a live oak, awaiting eunuchs and concubines. (Actually the kids’ tree platform, outfitted with lush covers and cushions.)

            “And then later on everything will move down into the Boom-Boom Room,” Turner said.

            Down some narrow cellar steps, techno unsched off the walls of brick and about two hundred wine bottles. Very sexy. All it needed was Steely Dan and silk pajamas.    

Boston Ballet’s Christian Squires (formerly of the Chas County School of the Arts superfan Lindsay Funderburk, and Boston Ballet’s Raul Salamanca“I told the cops they can bust the party outside but they have to stay out of the Boom-Boom room. And you can’t take any names for your blog down here.”

           

…To the control-B keys!

            Asked Susan Bass why she was escorting Charles Wadsworth into Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.

            “I saw him in the lobby and he looked like he could use a little help,” she said.

            l-r, Sarah Morrison, Susan McKellar, Sarah AnthonyYeah, right. He’s been using that old trick to get on the arm of beautiful women for years.

            Had a Broad Street/G&M reunion with two Sarahs: Morrison and Anthony, and Susan McKellar. Spoke with David Scott about his upcoming book with John Paul Huguley on the Old City Jail.  Lisa Sexton and Doug Berger and Gretchen Barbatsis wanted to talk Burke High School poetry.

            (l-r) Eleanor Smythe, Linann Harder and Heidi Harrington (in a sari!)John Pope and Lynn Letson in the tree bedThe core group of invitees was a very laidback local crowd, folks who grew up together smoking cigarettes outside of cotillions.

            Knew we could count on the ever-evervescent Lynn Letson to get the tree bed party going with John Pope and other suitors.

            Finally got to talk paper and ink with stationer Emilie Dulles. She grew up in Switzerland where all kids had to use fountain pens. Her beau, Baron Hanson and I bonded (even though I fear he’s a ‘vard), decrying the faux-English spellings (honour, favour) in wedding invitations. Emilie didn’t join us on that, probably a good decision when you do wedding “stationery suites” running into the five figures.

But we all agreed on the scourge of E-vites, and discussed how architects think they can make anything (see quote below).

            This was Trae Wilson’s fourth party of the day, but there was no saying no to Turner, and he came through with super stations of Moroccan shrimp, pizzas, roasted eggplant. The tapas entrees — seared scallops over chilled lentil salad, grilled spring lamb over chick pea puree — were served plated, which is a nice touch.

            You can always find the dancers near the food.

(l-r) Katelyn Prominski, Melanie Atkins, and Jared Redick of the Boston Ballet“We just wrapped up our season,” said Boston Ballet’s Katelyn Prominski, “so now we can spend the summer getting fat and out of shape.” In tight short shorts revealing the evening’s best legs, she’s got a lot of work to do toward that end.

Melanie Atkins won’t have a choice — she’s four months pregnant, which meant her partner Jared Redick had to change a lift in their pas de cinq so as not to grab her by the belly.Boston Ballet Dancer Melanie Atkins in her 2nd Trimester

Ira Levkoff, a local boy now living in Amsterdam, knows the dancer from the dance. He came in the bookstore this morning, still wearing his blue smoking jacket and party togs, and said he’d spent the party hanging with a member of the corps.

“Last year I met a Georgian ballerina in Marion Square, took her around town for three days, then went to visit her in Tbilisi for a week and ended up staying ten months.”

Other late Bookstore Update: The Hosts’ acupuncturist/personal trainer Stephen Clipp said the cops politely shut down the party at 2 a.m. He was urged to hit the Boom-Boom Room by someone who said “the chicks have us pinned in down there,” but found it empty.

Sarah Corbitt and Blan HolmanParty Index:

Cheeses: Brie, rustico, Manchego, Thomasville (from Ga.), Jarlsberg, Boucheron.

Best entrance: Sarah Corbitt, escorted by Blan Holman

Laurie Anderson mentions: 1

Music: sitar rock

Best quote: Emilie Dulles on architects: “They’re a special blend of diva/artist/scientist.”

Consecutive years Society St. Ballet Parties have been shut down by The Man: 2 

By Jonathan Sanchez | Posted in The Back Channel, Uncategorized | Comments (3)

A Cinderella Story — Bedon’s Alley

May 24, 2008 – 5:41 pm

Friday, May 24, Bedon’s Alley. Party for La Cenerentola

“This crowd has gone deadly silent, a Cinderella story outta nowhere” – Carl Spackler, Caddyshack

The crazy thing about the Bedon’s Alley Party is the silence, deep down in the cemetery quiet of South of Broad.

And then, bam! out of nowhere: a La Cenerentola Story.

Preservationist John-Paul Huguley had it right: “There’s no place else they could have a party like this.” It’s true, the narrow buildings and the ceiling of right-on-cue Memorial Day Weekend Haze make you feel like you’re in a long hall.

This ain’t no house party. You walk in a gate, give your name, get a sparkly wrist-bracelet from Eugenia Payne and other young ladies in long black dresses, and then grab a glass of Barola off the viridian blue table that triple-threat actress Sasha Azevedo was wearing.

Waiters in Mozart wigs passed limoncello cocktails, christened “Spoleto-tinis” – (not to be confused with Piccolo Spoleto.) A light projection on a house depicted a clock about to strike midnight – some saw a clever touch, I just saw a big fat deadline reminder.

Recent college grads Jenny Feldman, Elizabeth Quattlebaum and Ashley Arana, weren’t waiting around for a prince to come – they were plotting going to med school.

Nothing could top gorgeous young doctors-to-be, nothing except for gorgeous stationers – don’t get us started on office and writing supplies! Emilie Dulles of Dulles Designs was hanging with Marni and Marcus Durlach.

Marni said Dulles Designs does Donald Trump’s stationery, which makes them “big time.”

“You can take my picture this year,” Marni said. “I’m not crashing.”

There wasn’t a lot of skipped-the-show guilt this year, the con-chen-sus was that Cenerentola is an awesome, meat-and-potatoes classic Italian opera.

In keeping with the Great Re-unification of the two festivals, the party was also back-to-Italian-roots. A panini station, lemon-herb-cream tortelloni, tiramisu, candelabras, tons of red roses. Melting ice stilettoes apparently represented a of Maguffin from the fairy tale opera.

What could be more classic Spoleto than architect Johnny Tucker and milliner Leigh Magar, grabbing some shrimp with architect Chris Rose. Leigh was wearing a “deconstructed” dress from Worthwhile by Gary Graham and a brand-new cocktail hat made of a Liberty Print fabric, with feathers and hummingbirds. Johnny was in a fedora and seersucker.

Some people go pick up their dry cleaning to get ready for a party, some people make his-and-hers hats. At this point I’d like to formally submit my picture of Tucker/Magar consideration as the Spoleto poster next year.

Didn’t even begin to recognize actress-athlete-model Sasha Azevedo out of her lady-in-the-table get up and wig. Seeing her in a vintage California tourist shirt gave me a great idea for a party theme: Hipster Brooklyn. Table top video games (Frogger!), Bugaboos loaded with PBR, organic knishes.

Anyway…

John Thompson was pumped that the cover of his book Armageddon Conspiracy, due out in October, is ready. Fellow authors Nathalie Dupree and Jack Bass posed for a picture; they insisted I count to three and then said “sex” instead of “cheese.” Did not see that coming. Food maven Nathalie praised the tiramisu as “not too coffee-y.” Historian Bass is working on Justice Abandoned, “one of the few non-celebratory books about the Supreme Court.”

The Cast of Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea had the day off and were said to have spent it drinking. They were trying to get the trio to play some David Bowie or Tom Waits.

The music was curious. “Rambling Man” and “Carolina On My Mind” on the cello.

And at midnight, the big ending! Bibbidi, bobbidi, boo! David Graham of the Spoleto office (cosplayed Andy Warhol for the SCENE Party last year), came out as Cinderella/Cenerentola in a pink dress and tower of white hair, panicked and rushing but not making very good time, stopping to give these great moany screams.

Her exit music was Crosby, Stills and Nash’s “Southern Cross” You know Spoleto is on its game when you think it must be an artistic decision.

Party Index:

Correct pronunciations of “cenerentola” [CHEN-er-RENT-oh-la]: 5

Incorrect: 0

Cheeses: Lawson Roberts of White Tuxedo Events, which did all the artistic props, confirmed that Bedon’s ain’t no wine and cheese party. (Other credits: Stephen Duvall Catering, All Occasions events.)

Philip Glass mentions: 1

Laurie Anderson mentions: 1

Overheard:

“My brassiere is ringing.”(Takes phone out of right bosom.)

“We’re trying to have a baby. In fact we’re gonna do it when we get home!”

By Jonathan Sanchez | Posted in The Back Channel, Uncategorized | Comments (3)

itinerary

May 23, 2008 – 11:55 am

Welcome back to the Spoleto Party Blog. I’m Jonathan Sanchez, your host, your consigliere, the Virgil to your Dante as we travel through these 12 circles of formaggio, maybe more, the next two weeks.

Friday, 5/23 at 9 pm – Bedon’s Alley Party

Sunday, 5/25 at 10 pm – Party for Boston Ballet and Shantala Shivalingappa

Monday, 5/26 at 9:30 pm – Party Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

Wednesday, 5/28 at 10 pm – Party for Festival Concert and Imani Winds

Thursday, 5/29 at 10 pm – Party for Burial at Thebes and Marc Bamuti Joseph

White Party for exampleFriday, 5/30 at 10 pm – SCENE White Party for Monkey: Journey to the West

Saturday, 5/31, 5 pm, Piccolo Fiction Open Throwdown, Blue Bicycle Books, 420 King Street. (Free and open to the public.)

Wednesday, 6/4 at 9:30 pm – Party for Hotel Modern and Laurie Anderson

Thursday, 6/5 at 10:30 pm – Party for the Carolina Chocolate Drops

Friday, 6/6 at 10 pm – Party for Robison-Lubambo-Baptista Trio

Saturday, 6/7 at 9 pm – Party for Rite of Spring

Sunday, 6/8 Festival Finale (Open to the Public)

By Jonathan Sanchez | Posted in The Back Channel, Uncategorized | Comments (2)

Due Mondi

June 11, 2007 – 1:07 pm

Fill Up GlassLinda and Al Sanchez         The Spoleto Finale (Sunday, June 10, Middleton Place) is a festival of two worlds. Up front near the house, everyone listens to the music (although it’s acceptable for two ladies to have a quiet heart-to-heart).

         In the back, where a rubber chicken swung from a tree (replacing the piñata), the scene is more of a genteel Taste of Charleston or Oyster Festival — with background music by Mussorgsky.

            There are the usual elaborate picnics with candelabras and gourmet pestos. And then there was the group next to us with a jar of Jif, a jar of jelly and some bread, leaning up against a white cooler. Big enough to hide a corpse in, the cooler was filled with Miller High Life, the cans piling up next to it as the night transgressed (to borrow from a favorite malapropist of mine).Liz and KC Rennie

            It was a nice day, not nearly as warm as Saturday. Liz and K.C. Rennie set up at 4 p.m., out in the sun, in order to get a great spot close to the stage. The heaviest stream of picnickers was from 6 to 7, and you could still get a spot in the shade, if you wanted, at 6:30.

           Katie Derrick, Lauren Sanchez, Margie Longshore, Kate Campbell Mate and Kate Campbell brought the piñata and a ton of Mexican food. Margie Longshore and her cousin Katie Derrick celebrated Margie’s 30th birthday. The other Marj – Wentworth, the poet – and husband Peter, judged the picnic contest.   

            Spoleto Box OfficersDally Hubbard, Ashley Kubista and Lakeyia McKenzie, of the Spoleto Box Office, wearing clever “Fill Up Glass” tees by Soiree Warhol Impersonator David Graham, bragged that they “sold tickets to all these people.”

            Big John’s CrewA bocci-playing crew from Big John’s Tavern, Chris and Pamela Condon (staff), Adam Hartman (staff), and Damian Collins (regular), offered this reporter a Jager-bomb and “about 30 more burgers.” Chris and Pamela were married a month earlier and got engaged at last year’s finale.

            “He proposed right after the music ended, just before the fireworks began,” Pam said.

            Another strange new world at the Finale of a festival known for its graying audience was the children.

            Janette and Covey AlexanderRoaming around near the giant Live Oak were Ann and John Bourgeois of Charlotte, pushing their 16-month-old son Fleming, adopted from Russia this year. And architect Jeannette Alexander was just back from Vietnam with her newly-adopted baby girl Covey.

            Olive Gardner, Jasmine and Jade KennedyOlive Gardner got to play with festival friends Jasmine and Jade Kennedy one last time before they headed back to Santa Fe. Mom Rosie Kennedy flashed a new necklace from Pompeii Jewelry (her bling was left out of my Music in Time Party Fashion Spectacular).

Rosie KennedyTwo of the Spoleto Festival Orchestra violinists whom dad John Kennedy auditioned, Soojin Chang and Rena Ishii, of the Cleveland Institute of Music, relaxed backstage beforehand. Have to say, the SFO spread looked a little meager: all I saw was PB&J and a jar of mustard. A loaves-and-fishes collection of leftovers on the Great Lawn would’ve garnered enough fried chicken, deviled eggs and sushi to feed two symphonies.

 Soojin Chang and Rena IshiiThe music of the finale was anything but Modest, and the ending with the brassy Great Gate of Kiev and a giant roman candle spouting from the butterfly lakes was thrilling. Sitting and watching one firework after another for twenty minutes, with no music, not so much. I’ve never been to a fireworks show with that much paper shrapnel either.

 Traffic on the way home was a breeze, an easy ending to a really perfect event.

 

Cheeses eaten: Manchego, Gouda, Stilton with apricots.

Philip Glass mentions: 1.

Final Tally

Parties at private homes: 6

Others: 4

Different kinds of cheese: 24.

Philip Glass mentions: 9, not counting the party for him and his ensemble.

“When did you cut your hair?” comments: 13.

When I cut my hair: June 4, 2004.

Times corrected for my pronunciation of the word “mahogan(n)y”: 8.

By Jonathan Sanchez | Posted in Blogroll, Major Fetes, The Back Channel, Uncategorized | Comments (0)

See More Glass

June 9, 2007 – 11:04 am

Party for The Book of Longing, 178 Ashley Ave, Wycliffe House, Jeff and Wendy Gleim, hosts.

  

            To cover parties you have to be strapped:

1.      Tiny notepad.

Still Life with Party Coverage Supplies — Camera Not Pictured2.      Digital recorder, for quick observational asides: “Scott and Zelda passed out in the corner at 1 a.m., sleeping like innocent children.” “Don’t forget to get eggs on the way home.”

3.      Pen

4.      Camera (I use a Canon PowerShot A75)

5.      4 AA batteries, taped together

6.      Lip gloss (if the wife is along)

7.      Cell phone (optional — try and leave it in the car to reduce the load)

8.      Car key (take all others off the chain.)

    

Jeff and Wendy Gleim threw this wedding-caliber shindig at the Wycliffe House, from whence they run Mediterra Catering as well as serve lunch weekdays. Wendy didn’t come out of the kitchen till late, but said she was having a wonderful time, because “this was a party I got to cater without a boss.”SuSu Ravenel, Lynn Letson, Bill Struhs

            This was a most comfortable party to arrive to. It wasn’t as hot as I thought it was going to be, there were couches and bouquets of white roses set up in the big yard, and a full bar.

            Not full as in every kind of liquor, I mean, a full, rectangular bar with mahogany shelves and bartenders in the middle, bar chairs, bowls of nuts, the works.

            Don Bernstein, Philip Glass, Bobbi BernsteinSpeaking of work, the food at these parties has gotten so extravagant it takes a toll on the reporter. Omelet station, scallops, a ton of sushi, duck confit, seared tuna.

            I assumed getting close to Philip Glass would be like Peter Fonda when he was here for the Ulee’s Gold premiere. Not so tough. Caught him with Don and Bobbi Bernstein.Arts, Horses and Letters Discussion Group

            Author John Thompson (whose novel is coming out this year), Redux director Seth Curcio, and former Gibbes director and current Converse College president Betsy Fleming were having either a lively discussion about art and literature or Charleston Riverdog Mitch Hilligoss’s recent 38-game hitting streak.

            There were a number of wild rumors running around. Ralph Lauren was said to be in attendance. At least two people claimed the parting gift held a chocolate croissant in the shape of Philip Glass’s face. (Labeled: “Don’t open until morning,” I called it the Box of Longing.)

And there was also talk of the Fugees doing a reunion show at the venue, which would then be temporarily renamed the Wyclef House.

            Speaking of bands, the Philip Glass Ensemble wasn’t exactly Spinal Tap but they did have a tour manager, Sparky, who seemed capable of handling a put-down-the-rubber-sheets, I-can’t-believe-they-roasted-a-goat-in-the-hotel-room kind of rock act. He rounded up everyone for the bus, and passed out Googlemaps printouts with a highlighted route back to the hotel for bandmembers who wanted to stay at the party.

            Speaking of groupies, Caroline Nuttall and Kelly Seger of Rawle-Murdy bellied up to the bar with Nigel Redden.

          Caroline Nuttall, Arthur the Barkeep, Kelly Seger  “Hi, Nigel, I just wanted to tell you that the Spoleto Festival was one of the major reasons why I moved to Charleston from LA two years ago,” Caroline said.

            “And I wanted to tell you that the Girls who move here for the Spoleto Festival was one of the major reasons why I moved here,” I added.

            Cheese log: There were six extravagant and interesting cheeses — labeled! (I’d like to flatter myself and say this was done for my benefit). I painstakingly wrote them down and promptly lost the list.

           

    

By Jonathan Sanchez | Posted in Blogroll, The Back Channel, Uncategorized | Comments (0)

Georgia Peaches

June 8, 2007 – 1:45 pm

Ballerina-Chanteuses on Society

Thursday, June 7, 10:15 pm. 40 Society Street. Party for Swan Lake. 

Marni Rothschild and fiancé Marcus Durlach’s singular singlehouse was already at full roar when the dancers came in.

            With big coal-dark eyes and lean bodies, they headed straight for the silver cups of pomme frites, the deep-fat fryers sizzling like applause.         

Megan Durlach, her uncle-in-law Richard Durlach, Nancy and Jon LucasAs the long train of them passed through the narrow side garden, Uncle Richard Durlach, a ballet BMOC from USC, was able to pick most of them out from the performance (he’d brought binoculars to the Gaillard but still that’s no mean feat).

There’s was no mistaking prima ballerina Nina Ananiashvili, the grand marshal of the impromptu parade, who was whisked away for an audience with Nigel Redden and a mysterious figure, rumored to be The Banker from Deal or No Deal.

Ascots, sushi, champagne, some insane cheeses, a countdown at midnight, a smackdown by the poh-lice, this party had it all going on.

Callie Witham, Linann Harder and host Marcus DurlachCalhoun Witham, fodder for many of author Charlie Geer’s funniest stories, demonstrated how to tie his red see-no-evil-hear-no-evil-monkeys ascot. No elitist, he bragged about how easy it is (it’s just a half-knot).

“You should wear one,” he said. “Let’s bring back the ascot!”

Sure, but were they ever here?

Lisa Sexton and Doug BergerLisa Sexton’s kid got the autograph of a certain modernist composer at Modica Gelato. We talked public schools; she’s fighting to get a better library at Charleston Progressive. Her husband Doug Berger was the vet of the late Boomer, the eponymous bassethound of the bookstore on King St. which has since changed hands — and names.

On the upstairs balcony, overlooking the koi pond and lace-leaf maple, Lauren and Linda Sanchez talked with adorable ballerinas Alisa Bogdanova and Nino Makashvili, each 21. Chamber Music clarinetist Todd Palmer made a friend from the company as well.

Alisa Bogdanova, Lauren Sanchez, and Nino MakashviliUpon being praised for her “cheese spread,” Marni’s jaw dropped.

“What? There’s cheese spread?” she said. It was quickly cleared up that the compliment was for the spread of cheeses, of which chef Dave Lewis gave me an extensive tour (see below).

It’s understandable that the host might not have a total grasp of her offerings by Granville’s Catering: caviar, clams, mussels, sushi, lamb with mashed potatoes, chocolate-covered strawberries (a hit with the dancers), lots more I couldn’t remember. In a modern addition on the back of the house is a big bright kitchen, right in the middle of things, which made for a fun Good Fellas vibe.

Lenor and Fred HemmelsteinA Man in a White Dinner Jacket led a countdown to midnight, the 8th of June being Fred and Lenor Hemmelstein’s 55th wedding anniversary.

Rachel Green, host Marni Rothchild, Mark — so sorry about the picture! — and Jude HealeyGuitarist Chris Woodrum and the other musicians set up around 10:30, worked up a sweat and then were shut down by the police well before midnight. The hosts said it couldn’t have been complaints from the neighbors, because “they’re all here.”

A dozen or so ballerinas made their own music, softly singing a pop lovesong, walking home down the middle of Society Street.

Cheese at the Swan Lake party or Variety of Marijuana? 

1.      Italian Rustico

2.      Hindu Kush

3.      Humboldt Fog

4.      Panama Red

5.      Spanish Blue

6.      Rosemary Manchego

7.      Mary Jane of La Mancha

8.      Drunken Goat

9.      Morbiere

Cheeses: 1, 3, 5, 8, 9. Kinds of pot: 2, 4, 7 (okay, I made that one up)

Philip Glass mentions: 2, unbaited!

Oh my God you cut your hair comments (three years after the fact): 2, making 11 for the Festival thus far.

  

By Jonathan Sanchez | Posted in Blogroll, Major Fetes, The Back Channel, Uncategorized | Comments (1)

Gelato in Time

June 7, 2007 – 2:51 pm

Private GardenMusic in Time Party, Wed., June 6, hosted by Lynn Hanlin, Denise Barto and Annie Stone at 67 Meeting.

We’ve always loved this sign on 67 Meeting Street. (It used to say “Please admire…”)

There was much to enjoy and admire at this party at Lynn Hanlin’s house, tucked behind the Private Gardner’s.Bounce Clutch by L_Design

            Annie Stone’s Dixie Dunbar EarringsWe caught co-host Annie Stone’s earrings by Dixie Dunbar (right), an Unidentified Charlotte Beauty carrying a new bag from L_Design (left) and Connie Hauman’s new platforms From Bob Ellis.

            “I came with 16 pairs, and I’m leaving with 18,” the Merlin singer said.

            What were the other new ones?

           Constance Hauman’s foot “Converse hi-tops, I actually wore them to the Merlin party the other night, because it was raining so hard.”

            I’m sure nobody noticed.

            Susan Bass’s mussel-shell necklaceNo, Susan Ross’s mussel shell necklace was not something she made after eating a plate of paella, as Edwin Gardner cracked. There’s a time and a place for smart-asses, just not on this blog. Not when we’re talking shoes and accessories.

            Annie husband Graham talked about the family’s annual skipping-Christmas two-month trip to Thailand. Chamber Music set changer and noted cyclist Walter Crocker talked about Charles Wadsworth interrupting a Mozart concerto after the first movement, in order to recognize the group of Burke High School students in the audience.

           After a photo, Mahoganny singer Tammy Hensrud was all: “And you already know my name, right?”

Actually, no, but I can get it from the book.

“Oh my gosh! I’m really not a diva, it just seemed that you already knew it.”

Lynn Hanlin (l) and Tammy Hensrud with a Guy Whose Card I LostShe went out of her way to be sweet about it. But any soprano open-minded enough to sing with an accordion is clearly not a diva.

The man on the squeezebox was Guy Klucevsek, a bookstore customer. I told him I like to bust out the air-accordion on wedding dance floors, but he seemed unimpressed.

Denise Barto, Spoleto Board Member and professional event planner, was the third of the hostess triumvirate. The trio aimed to do something different. Hence peach sangria, paella, gelato from Modica on Geoge Street, lobster ceviche (yow!), antipasto, and…chocolate truffles made by Annie herself.

There were apparently savory truffles earlier – when told that he missed out, Spoleto music director Emmanuel Villaume groaned: “Oh no, I am miserable.”

Timing is everything Maestro.

All this paellaHarry Bicket, Nunnally Kersh, John KennedyThis party was for Music in Time, the first in time in years when it hadn’t been hosted by Edwin and Whitney. I tried to bait MIT director John Kennedy into a Philip Glass mention, but he was headed for the Festival Orchestra party and not the Book of Longing premiere.

I have no excuse for missing the SFO party. Sure I wasn’t invited and I have three more parties this weekend, but the SFO is where it’s at. They would have nothing to hold back either, since the rug had just been pulled out from under them on their trip to Greece.

Party index

Cheese log: Monterey jack cubes and aged parmesan with a honey truffle glaze — add ‘em to the list.

Josh Rosenblum and Annie StonePhilip Glass mentions: 2

People mistaken for Philip Glass on the poster: Sylvester Stallone, Billy Joel (thanks Josh Rosenblum)

By Jonathan Sanchez | Posted in Blogroll, The Back Channel | Comments (1)

Shipwrecked

June 3, 2007 – 2:27 pm

Saturday, June 2. 10:30 p.m. 80 East Bay Street (wharf-side), party for The Island of Merlin, or The World Reversed. Hosted by Charlotte Sloan.Annie Stone, Lorraine Perry

              Rough night. Or at least it started out that way. I was on my phone, passing Great Wall Express (Romney and King), when I left this voicemail message:

            “Yeah, the party is right by Oak so I’ll try and meet you — Oh! OH! OH CHRIST! Jesus! Sorry, this dog almost got hit by a car…”

            Driving past the art show at Second Presbyterian I had to slalom around a couple Port-A-Johns which had been blown out into Charlotte Street by the storm. Nobody likes to see that.

            The party was hosted by Charlotte Sloan, and since she’s from Greenville an empty house was provided by Some Real Estate Agent Who Apparently Stands to Make a $108,000 Commission.

          Ellen MeyerDelightful Ellen Meyer, on sabbatical from the Atlanta College of Art, encouraged me to ask her old friend Nigel Redden how the festival was going. Instead, I asked him the second-most boring question I could think of: “Those paintings created by Shen Wei’s company, are you going to try and secure one for the Festival offices?”

            “No. He keeps them.”

            When I asked if Nigel was accurately quoted about parties by the NYT (link here), he said something to the effect that the conversation was getting far too wild and politely excused himself. So no word on a liver-themed sequel to “blessing the boats.”

            The stunning Lynn Letson livened things up as always, in a cowboy hat and leather skirt and big earrings. Speaking of fashion, where the hell was Ida? Way to leave me stranded.

            Janice Waring, Dana Sinkler and Marti AtkinsI caught Janice Waring wrapping up some of caterer Callie White’s homemade Oreos in a napkin.

            Can’t blame her, Callie’s spread wins the Bring Your Zip-Locs in Your Coat Pocket Award. Unfortunately, 11:30 rolled around and there were no hungry tenors to eat the Red Thai Curry, Lettuce Wraps, Seared Tuna with Salsa Verde, or White Bean Stew with Roasted Radicchio.

            Perhaps the cast and crew were shipwrecked in the storm?

            HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Que ridiculo!

            Spoleto partygoers are perseverant. Unlike pubcrawling “this place is dead anyway” youngsters, these guys simply don’t leave until things get fun.

Tish Lynn, Evan and Jennifer HarrisThings did. I got to talk with Tish Lynn of the Coasal Conservation League and former Spoleto press angel Jen Harris and her man Evan. Constance Hauman, of Merlin, and Charlotte Sloan, hostRachel Greene and I shared lines from Meet the Parents, “Yeah, I get paid too so it’s more of an everybody-wins thing,” and lo and behold – Merlin diva Constance Hauman showed up, in blue Chuck Taylors. There’d been a snafu and the cast hadn’t been told about the party.  Charlotte took this in stride and pointed Constance, whose, er, endowment has been getting a lot of critical attention, towards my camera. “Show your bosoms!” she said.   

           

           

           

By Jonathan Sanchez | Posted in BMOCs, The Back Channel, Uncategorized | Comments (0)

This is Why We’re Hot

June 2, 2007 – 2:29 pm

An Open Letter to Joe Sanchez:  

Hey little Brother, I’ll keep this brief. I know you are doing well in Atlanta. Only 27 and you own a house, do Olympic-distance triathlons, and are a big-shot engineer who goes to Leipzig a couple times a year, zooming down the autobahn in the company Audi. That being said…MOVE TO CHARLESTON. NOW. LIVE MAN, LIVE!

Joe SanchezOkay, I have to do my society page thing. You don’t have to read it. Just check out the pictures.  Like any good writer, I prefer to show rather than tell.

Jon

Spoleto Soiree, Gaillard Auditorium Multi-Purpose Room. Friday, June 1. 10:30 p.m. $50 a ticket, put on by Spoleto SCENE (it’s a verbless acronym), which is meant to change the look of the festival audience through young professional events and Grecian formula.

             My mom dropped me off and I straightened my knit tie, got a wristband and stepped gingerly into the dance, “Groove is in the Heart” unsh-unsh-ing from the system.

            I was glad to run into Jon Thompson of LS3P Architects. “You know,” I said. “Coming in here it felt like walking into…”

           Harley Kemp, Megan McComas, Jon Thompson “Prom?” he said. JT’s date was Megan McComas of James Simons Elementary, who was with her fellow teacher Hollywood (SC) starlet Harley Kemp.

            “We got our Master’s together,” Harley said.  “These chicks know how to read. And spell P-I-N-O-T  G-R-I-G-I-O.” What’s that? “Pea-NOT Greekio.”

            Once again my inability to speak Italian is a hindrance.

            Kelly Beaver, Abby Freeman, Scott PiersonWhat would Charleston be without Charlotte? Broke? Maybe, and last night would’ve been lacking Charlotte Starlets Kelly and Katie Beaver, Abby Freeman, or Ashton Montgomery. 

            Speaking of rivalries, it’s nice to see my old and new papers turning friendlier. The CP’s Patrick Sharbaugh and the P&C’s Kyle Stock were hanging.

            Shana Inman, Frisco Sanchez, Susan O’SullivanNice try Sharbaugh, but Shana Inman was waving at me, buddy. Inman and girlfriend Susan O’Sullivan were recently returned from Morocco. I did a groundbreaking article on Shana when I first started out, the gist was “CofC Student Goes on Exchange Program, Young Reporter Finds This Fascinating.”

           Sharbaugh wagered that for many in attendance, Soiree, taglined “Art is the Party,” would likely be their only Spoleto event. If that’s true, planners made sure to make an event out of it.

           Andy Warhol, McLean Stith Production Design Associates loaned a 30-foot, $75,000 light-show “S,” screens showed slides of Mondrian and Klimt and Picasso works, young artist James Irving painted a canvas on a corner stage. Dermatologist and painter McLean Stith boogied (Pop-locked?) with an Andy Warhol-look-alike.

          Casey Beverly, Lisa Lavora, Caroline Nuttall “You canNOT write that it was like the prom,” said Rawle-Murdy’s Caroline Nuttall, a member of the Soiree committee, who had friends Casey Beverly and Lisa Lavora in from New York. I tried to tell her that we had nothing to prove to New York, and the best big party I’ve ever been to in Charleston was the City Paper’s Best Of Prom a while back.

          Bar staff Erin Quinn, Brooke Minnick, Erin Manganelli Colleen Connor, Luke Wilson, Denise Barto and the rest of the committee took a small budget a long way. Since orange bitters and Crown Royal were donated, they made up a signature drink, “the Untitled” — served by mixologists Erin Manganelli, Brooke Minnick and Erin Quinn (Joe, please see picture at right).

          The carb-heavy spread of sushi, Kobe corn dogs and other impress-your-wedding-guests grub was set out on glass sheets suspended on Campbell’s Tomato Soup Cans, sauces applied by paint brushes. Oh, to have been a fly on the wall at the brainstorming sessions for this one.

           A few in the 500-strong crowd bitched about Jesse Lockman, the (working for Pea-Nots) DJ, refusing to spin hip-hop, but by the end of the night his techno blended towards early disco and the dance floor filled up. Luckily, nobody called me out for only having one move, the throwing-the-dice. (You’ll get the reference in a couple weeks, promise.)

And it may have been all the Untitleds I drank, but I swear I saw one of those guys from the Corner Stores, taking Polaroids for the above-the-counter montage.

More photos here

                

By Jonathan Sanchez | Posted in Major Fetes, The Back Channel, Uncategorized | Comments (1)

Blue Moon

June 1, 2007 – 11:31 am

Susan Bass, hostThursday, May 31, Party for Shen Wei Dance Arts and Major Bang. Home of Susan Bass and Tom Bradford, undisclosed location in the French Quarter

Serious cyclists, Bradford and Bass know about replenishment. The healthy spread last night included rice salad, rotisserie chicken confit, grape tomatoes, gourmet slaw, roasted almonds. A table was set aside exclusively for performers. “The Major Bang crew was hoovering food,” Bass said.

Whitney Powers, party host Tom BradfordWith about 75 people in the side garden, this marked my third straight house party with a gorgeous hostess. Must be all the rides through the fresh marsh airs.

The Don of the local bike mafia, Don Sparks, took me and road racer Templeton Fletcher into his buddy Bradford’s workshop – eight bikes on the wall. Two fixed-gear track jobs, a full-suspenson Cannondale, Kestrel, ooooooh. (This is why I didn’t give their address.)

Bradford’s Bike Shop“Oh, so you saw the air-conditioned bike shed,” Susan said, “God forbid they’re exposed to any humidity.”

“Well, they live here too,” I said.Don Sparks, Jonathan Ray, Lenny Greene

And with that you get eye-roll.

Sparks is so effective as a bike advocate because he’s both affable and, as Lenny Greene said, “easily riled up.”

Lenny’s brother, author Harlan Greene (Why We Never Danced the Charleston, more) and his partner Jonathan Ray, head of the Charleston Concierge Association, were keeping their chins up despite the recent death of their dog. Lenny’s wife was too upset to be photographed.

Edwin Gardner and his daughter Olive (8, home with sitter), regularly ride to Buist — he claims she’s the schools only bike commuter. Gardner and his young wife, architect Whitney Powers, took the kid to Shen Wei, but it failed to impress her.

“Olive was like, I could do that,” Powers said. “It’s sort of like how people think they can make a Jackson Pollock painting.”

Shen Wei dancer Jessica Harris and Edwin GardnerFor those not up on modern art, Pollock was that guy who threw paint just like any monkey could. 

It wasn’t hard to spot the lean Shen Wei dancers, who looked like they could do many things none of us could do.

Gardner told dancer and North Carolina gal Jessica Harris she reminded him of 50s star (Anything Goes, South Pacific) Mitzi Gaynor, whom no one at the party, other than this guy named Roach, had heard of. When you look as young as Gardner you’re not afraid to show your age.Mitzi Gaynor

Harris/Gaynor was not afraid to show her dirty fingernails, residue from the “Connect Transfer” piece the company performs/creates on a giant canvas while coated in paint.Dancing with Paint on Your Fingers

“I have a couple [of the resulting paintings] in my apartment,” Harris said. “It’s the only art I can afford.”

 Had to ask what she thought of So You Think You Can Dance.

“I don’t know how they dance in those heels,” she said.

That’s Dancing with the Stars. And Joey Fatone was robbed, by the way.

    

Party Index:

Full moons in May: 2 (the second, on 5/31, was the blue one)

New cheeses eaten: 3. “You knew just what I was there for.” Swiss appenzeller, roquefort, and a terrific triple-cream brie. Nicest cheeses so far, by far.

Philip Glass mentions: 1, by Nunnally Kersh. I baited her by mentioning the many visitors who come in the store and ask who that guy is on all the posters. She said she’d heard people on the street guess: “Bruce Springsteen,” or“ it must be a big donor.”

  

By Jonathan Sanchez | Posted in Major Fetes, The Back Channel, Uncategorized | Comments (0)
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