Partying in Pre-Coronavirus Times — Looking Back at Jen and Ben’s Big Houston Opera Tease

While living in an alternate reality — or so it seems — we pause to take a brief look back at Houston’s social scene at a time when no one saw the COVID-19 storm coming. It was early March, and Jennifer and Benjamin Fink had plans well underway for Houston Grand Opera’s April 4 white-tie-and-tails gala. Of course, it was soon cancelled.

With that future as yet unknown, Tenenbaum Jewelers hosted a festive March 10 luncheon in honor of Jen and Ben, as they are more easily recognized. The ladies and gents with their $100 gift cards for the gala’s Magic Lamp Pull arrived only 24 hours before Mayor Sylvester Turner announced the near-immediate closure of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. It was the first sign of Houston’s impending entry into the twilight zone of the coronavirus pandemic.

In keeping with the theme of the ball, Une Nuit à Marrakech, City Kitchen delivered a Moroccan-inspired menu. Fashion designer David Peck debuted a custom candle, A Night at the Opera, created in collaboration with HGO Special Events and with a portion of proceeds going to the opera company. Tenenbaum previewed the stunning his and hers jewelry and luxury gift items that the firm is contributing to the ball auction. Other star auction items, including a trip to Morocco contributed by Frosch Travel, were presented.

And then things changed. One by one, spring events were canceled as the virus expanded. Initially, HGO announced that it would reschedule the ball to the fall. But soon that appeared hugely challenging.

As the HGO website notes: “The uncertainties around when we will be able to gather in numbers again — paired with scheduling challenges as we enter HGO’s exciting 2020-21 season of opera in the fall — have made rescheduling in this calendar year unfeasible.”

As the show must go on, this show will take place in the format originally planned, but in April 2021.

Ninety-five percent of the Marrakech gala had already been “artfully planned when social distancing went into effect,” the opera reports. “It pained us for the vision of the our Opera Ball chairmen, plus the human, financial, and creative resources of HGO and our loyal and talented event partners, to go to waste.

“We remain eager to share Une Nuit à Marrakech and Opera Ball chairmen Jennifer and Benjamin Fink, who have graciously agreed to extend their role into the 2020-21 season,” a letter to patrons allows. “Opera Ball, Une Nuit à Marrakech, will now take place on Saturday, April 10, 2021. In this sense, we have rescheduled into next year’s calendar and look forward to that celebration.”

It was something luncheon guests could never had anticipated.

PC Seen: HGO ball after-party chair Tami Hiraoka, Lauren Randle, Astrid Van Dyke, Betty Tutor, Ann Ayre, Dr, Ishwaria Subbiah, Rachel Ellsworth, Cheryl Byington, Claire Liu, Zane Carruth, Robin Angly, Carol Hunton, Mary Ann McKeithan, and Alyssa Pasek.