Tootsies Gathers the Ladies of Houston Grand Opera to Highlight The Organization’s Efforts

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Opera heroines are iconic for a reason. They love, sacrifice, and sustain. Pouring passion into their homeland, family, or beloved, they leave a legacy for those who come after them.It’s much the same for this iconic group of women who support Houston Grand Opera with their time, voices, and talents. Tootsies, another Houston icon, gathered these visionaries together at The Wortham Center for a megawatt photo shoot and a chat about how opera, philanthropy, and community create the sweetest of sounds for generations to come.

Our community is lucky to have Houston Grand Opera, one of the world’s great opera houses, right in its backyard. Each spring HGO’s supporters gather in its home, the Wortham Theater Center, to celebrate the company and the operatic art form during the can’t-miss gala of the season: Opera Ball. This year’s event, Opera Ball: A City of Bold Voices, takes place on April 15.

Khori Dastoor — General Director and CEO

Houston Grand Opera General Director and CEO Khori Dastoor understands the power of song. A lyric soprano, Dastoor is both a performer and a fan, turning her professional vision and funneling it into the award-winning opera company. She grew up in a musical household, a legacy she now shares with her two young daughters, as well as the future generations of opera fans. It’s clear innovation and artistic creativity are keys to keeping the art form evolving and exciting.

“Events like Opera Ball are critical for raising the funds necessary to create programs to support arts education across Houston and bring opera into the lives of as many young people as possible. I am honored to be featured alongside these amazing women who are committed to the same cause,” Dastoor says.

Lauren Randle — Young Trustee and Special Events Host Committee

Lauren Randle also knows the importance of HGO. Her aunt, Lora Clemmons, shared the beauty of the art form with her as a child, and now she serves as a Young Trustee and member of the Special Events Host Committee, helping to guide and grow HGO’s signature gala events. A senior associate in Baker Botts LLP’s Financial Restructuring practice and mother to a young daughter, Randle is committed to extending the opera’s legacy.

 “Supporting HGO is in my blood. I followed the footsteps of my aunt, the late philanthropist and HGO Board member Lora Clemmons,” Randle says. “She taught me to appreciate the beauty and sophistication that opera brings to the City of Houston.“

Myrtle Jones — Board of Directors and Event Chair

Myrtle Jones grew up in a rural Mississippi farm town, understanding the value of community and leadership. As Halliburton’s Senior Vice President of Tax, Jones continues to blaze a trail, supporting numerous organizations, including Houston Grand Opera. Jones serves on the HGO Board of Directors and will co-chair Opening Night of the Company’s 2023/2024 season, presenting the highly anticipated world premiere of Intelligence, conceived by Jake Heggie, Gene Scheer, and Jawole Willa Jo Zollar in collaboration with Urban Bush Women. A proud mother to three children, Jones leads by example, much to the benefit of those around her.

“Community service is very important to me,” Jones says. “I understand that I got to where I am on the shoulders of a lot of people. It’s my way of thanking people for believing in and investing in me.”

Anne Chao — Impresarios Circle and 2023 Opera Ball Chair

Although she’s traveled the world and lived in the Congo, Australia, Taiwan, and Washington, D.C., for almost forty years, Anne Chao has proudly called Houston home. A modern Chinese historian and philanthropist, Chao is an Adjunct Lecturer in the Humanities and Manager of the Houston Asian American Archive (HAAA) at Rice University which focuses on the immigration experience of Asian Americans to Houston.

“We want to make sure that Asian American contributions are included in the narrative of Texas history,” Chao says.

The HAAA archive reflects the importance of the immigration experience of Asian Americans to Houston and is one way Chao and her family have immersed themselves in the Houston community. As long-standing ticket holders, Chao and her husband Albert never miss an opera season, and for more than 20 years, the couple has supported a variety of HGO community programs, productions, Butler Studio artists, and the HGO Endowment. The Chao’s have also chaired the Triple Crown of HGO signature gala events — Opening Night, Concert of Arias, and the 2023 Opera Ball A City of Bold Voices.

Jennifer Fink — Underwriters Circle and Event Chair

For Houston Grand Opera supporter Jennifer Fink, it’s the people behind the stories and songs who matter most. She and her husband, Ben, were besotted by HGO in 2016 and have been fixtures at performances and events ever since. The couple chaired the opulent and colorful Moroccan Opera Ball in 2022 and are active members of the HGO Underwriters Circle, serving as examples of volunteerism to their two young children.

“My love for HGO has as much to do with the people who work tirelessly behind the scenes as it does with the art form itself,” Fink says. “I am so lucky to get to witness firsthand their passion, commitment and dedication to sharing the art form they love with the world.”

Allyson Pritchett — Board of Directors and Impresarios Circle

True love is at the heart of what drives Violetta in Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata, and one could easily say the same about Allyson Pritchett. Love of community building and opera are among her interests and ones she supports with great fervor.

Pritchett moved to Houston from New York in 2020 and quickly felt right at home. She’s the founder & CEO of Bodka Creek Capital, a Houston-based real estate private equity firm with over $100M in assets under management. She’s active in the Junior League and serves on the Board of the Camilla Foundation, empowering the stability of orphanages around the world. Giving back is simply who Pritchett, a Harvard MBA graduate, is and she shows it at every turn, most recently underwriting superstar Angel Blue in this season’s La Traviata. She is a member of the HGO Impresarios Circle and serves as the youngest member of the Board of Directors.

“We each have unique gifts. I believe our life’s calling lies in using those gifts to leave our loved ones, communities, and workplaces better than we found them,” Pritchett says. “It’s an honor to be a part of helping HGO thrive as a world-class opera company right here in Houston.”

Zane Carson Carruth — Event Chair

Knowing not all children are able to experience the performing arts drives Zane Carson Carruth’s passion for sharing the incredible message of Houston Grand Opera’s community programs. As an award-winning children’s book author, certified business etiquette and protocol professional, and vice president of the Carruth Foundation, she has many opportunities to connect people for the greater good.

Deep in the heart of Houston’s Livestock Show and Rodeo, Zane was honored to serve as HLSR’s First Lady for the 2021 to 2023 seasons with husband Brady as chairman. Zane has served on the HGO Board of Directors, the Audiences and Special Events Committees, and chaired Opera Ball 2017 Carnevale di Venezia. In 2016, her words came alive on stage for the world premiere HGO Storybook Opera program based on “The World’s First Tooth Fairy… Ever,” — her beloved children’s book series that teaches responsibility, kindness, courage and bravery.

“Ask any artist today what inspired their career, and it often begins with a school-age experience. Opera and music open eyes to different cultures, ideas, and perspectives…and early exposure is key. A world without creativity and empathy would be a sad one. As school districts continue to scale back arts education, HGO really fills that void,” Carruth says.

Janet Carrig — Board and Endowment Chair Emeritus

Janet Carrig is more than just an opera aficionado. She’s a rudder and an anchor for HGO, providing stability and guidance when the time calls for leadership and vision. She was undeterred by Hurricane Harvey, steering the company forward during the post-storm struggles plaguing the 2018-2020 seasons, and established HGO’s crucial Working Culture Review Group.

Carrig became involved with HGO when she was Senior VP and General Counsel of ConocoPhillips, and after retiring, she and her husband, John, committed personal support as she was named HGO Board Chair. They are HGO Grand Underwriters, and she currently serves as HGO Board and HGO Endowment Chair Emeritus. And, if you’re invited to sit at her table for an HGO event, you’re guaranteed to have the very best time. A Yale Law School graduate, Carrig has served on multiple corporate boards and received numerous awards for her dedication and support of non-profit organizations.

“For me, HGO is like a fine wine; it has grown for me with grace, elegance and style, and it has made an enduring mark on the lives of my family and me,” Carrig says. “Khori and Patrick [Summers] are extraordinary leaders of a dynamic company. We are so pleased to help support the remarkable performances and enjoy its lively social events, and we look forward to an exciting future.”

Lynn Wyatt — Lifetime Trustee and Vice Chair of Board of Directors

Without the generosity of Lynn Wyatt, Houston’s performing arts landscape would certainly shine a little less brightly. The grand maven of Houston’s philanthropic scene is deeply embedded in the essence of HGO. Wyatt is a Lifetime Trustee, Impresarios Circle member and serves as vice chair of the Board of Directors.

Her style savvy is legendary, as is her unsurpassed grace and sincerity, but it is her unwavering dedication to so many significant Houston institutions, including HGO that astounds. She chaired HGO’s Golden Jubilee Gala in 2005 and was honored at the Yellow Rose Opera Ball in 2010 where her husband, Oscar Wyatt, announced the endowment of The Lynn Wyatt Great Artist Fund, honoring her dedication to bringing the world’s best operatic talent to HGO.

In 2023, the Lynn Wyatt Square for the Performing Arts, a city block’s worth of inviting green space and the new epicenter of the Theater District, will be unveiled. It’s a fitting honor for one who has laid the foundation for so many arts programs in the city.

“The arts are so important to Houston. The culture of a city reflects its soul, and the more choices of greatness we can offer, the brighter our flame will grow,” Wyatt says.

Valerie Dieterich — Trustee and Special Events Host Committee

For more than 15 years, HGO Trustees Valerie Dieterich and her husband, Tracy, have reveled in the beauty and grandeur of Houston Grand Opera, enjoying every season and serving as founding members of HGO’s Opening Night Young Professionals (ONYP) and Young Patrons Circle. Dieterich is a global whirlwind, having visited 57 countries, but Houston is her happy place where she supports Contemporary Art Museum Houston, Hermann Park Conservancy and Big Brothers Big Sisters in addition to HGO. A busy mother of two young daughters, the former managing director for Savills Studley serves on the Special Events Host Committee and c0-chaired the Opening Night gala in 2016. “HGO has had immeasurable impact on so many stages of my adult life. From providing a community of like minded young professionals when in my twenties, many that became some of my best friends, to serving as a refuge from hectic schedules and responsibilities, transporting me to another world through voice and music,” Dieterich says. “I am so thankful we are able to give back to this incredible organization that elevates our wonderful city.”

The artistry of photographer Johnny Than, Houston First and Xandro Canales of Volume Social Club Hair and Makeup, combined with the picture-perfect styles from Tootsies made this shoot something to sing about.

From this Tuesday, April 11 through April 14, Tootsies is committing a percentage of sales to Houston Grand Opera when shoppers mention HGO at checkout.