Houston Ballet Turns Dinner Into Theater, Making a Retired Arts Leader’s Swan Song a Near $500,000 Night

What: Houston Ballet Opening Night Celebration

Where: On stage in the Brown Theater of Wortham Theater Center

PC Moment: Following Houston Ballet’s season opening night performance of Onegin, the Bergner & Johnson team hustled on stage to transform the ballet set into a dreamy dinner tableau oozing Old World charm. Think whimsical touches including hemstitched napkins, mahogany lattice chairs, and lush floral arrangements of hydrangeas, astilbe, roses, tulips, ranunculus, coxcomb and seasonal blooms displayed in elegant gold vases. 

With dinner arrangements set, 200 handsomely-attired guests, who had remained after the performance, made their way to the stage for a celebration of not only the launch of the 2025-26 season but also in honor of Houston Ballet‘s recently retired executive director. James Nelson, who held the lead position beginning in 2012.

Houston Ballet artistic director Julie Kent launched the brief program with opening remarks thanking supporters and in particular On Stage Dinner chairs Shara and Kent Schaffer, who led the evening to record proceeds that nudged $500,000. City councilman Joaquin Martinez presented Nelson with a surprise City of Houston proclamation praising the retiring executive director for his distinguished career punctuated by extraordinary leadership and advocacy for inclusion and community engagement.

Nelson began his career in the ballet world as a dancer, making this a full circle moment in many ways.

As the clock ticked toward 11:30 pm and the CityKitchen dinner wound down, Nelson gave closing remarks of gratitude for the support during his tenure, praised his successor Sonja Kostich and raised his champagne glass in leading a toast to Margaret Alkek Williams. The philanthropist and ardent Houston Ballet supporter is entering her ninth decade.

PC Seen: Kristy and Chris Bradshaw, Melza and Ted Barr, Marguerite Schwartz, Duyen and Marc Nguyen, Deborah and Edward Koehler, Hallie Vanderhider and Bobby Dees, Stephanie Tsuru, Ileana and Michael Treviño, Jean and Henry Kelly and Stephen  Lubanko, Beth Muecke, Patti Murphy, Margaret and Johnathan Cox, Anne and Albert Chao, Marianne and Joe Geagea, and Marian and Gary Beauchamp.