Houston’s Own Black & White Ball Brings Glamour Galore and a Major Broadway Moment
The Only Thing Missing From This Party of the Half Century is Truman Capote Himself
BY Shelby Hodge // 04.08.19Party time at the Society for the Performing Arts Black & White Ball at Wortham Theater Center. (Photo by Wilson Parish)
While Truman Capote’s glamorous Black & White Ball of 1966 was dubbed “the party of the century,” we must cheekily baptize Society for the Performing Art‘s redux of that storied evening as the party of the half century. For the evening was a celebration of SPA’s more than 50 years of bringing the world’s best performances to Houston.
And who among the 400-plus guests filling the Wortham Center Grand Foyer will soon forget the razzle-dazzle performances by members of the cast of Chicago, which SPA brings to Houston June 4 through 9? That nod to SPA’s rich programming is a traditional component of the group’s annual gala, which was this year chaired by Mary Ann and David McKeithan and Cheryl and Sam Byington. Applause, applause for honorary chair Margaret Alkek Williams.
In a nod to the sophisticated theme, Bergner & Johnson’s Rebekah Johnson dressed the vast foyer in more than 600 yards of black and white silk, draped in sentinel swaths from the ceiling where two massive (Phantom of the Opera?) chandeliers were joined by a collection of other dazzling fixtures.
While some among the black-tie attired guests missed the “with mask” bidding on the invitation, many were hidden behind sometimes playful, sometimes quite spectacular (think solid rhinestones) visages. Fashion designer David Peck was the go-to creative for many in the frolic, including community honorees Rini and Edward Ziegler. Accepting corporate honoree status on behalf of H-E-B was Scott McClelland, who was saving his costume antics for his popular TV ads.
“Groceries is only part of what we do,” McClelland said, adding that helping make Houston a better city is also part of the H-E-B mission.
With a substantial feast from Jackson and Company, guests were amply fueled for dancing to the sounds of Empire 6 and for continuing on to the after-party, chaired by Ann and Jonathan Ayre. While many among the femmes dressing in black or white or combinations thereof, we must say that Ann Ayre’s Monique Lhuillier black and white striped strapless gown was the show-stopper of the party.
Elizabeth Anthony
PC Seen: Making her SPA gala debut, newly-minted CEO Meg Booth, SPA board chair Theresa Einhorn and Don Yurewicz, Melanie Gray and Mark Wawro, Eileen and Kase Lawal, Ginni and Richard Mithoff, Lynn Wyatt, Claudia and David Hatcher, Phoebe and Bobby Tudor, Linda and Willie Chang, Gina and Dr. Devinder Bhatia, Nancy and Chuck Davidson and Amy and Rob Pierce.
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