by Jonathan Soroff

Act Two
Boston has something new to brag about, and it’s a doozy.

The new wing of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum was unveiled with a series of black-tie blowouts, the first of which was a Special Opening Preview that would have done Mrs. Jack proud.

Deemed important enough for The New York Times to cover, the evening had everyone oohing and aahing, in addition to air-kissing, kibitzing and sipping Champagne.

Guests entered the breathtaking new addition to be greeted by the likes of stunning brunette director Anne Hawley, the project’s quarterback, Barbara Hostetter, her cable gazillionaire husband, Amos, rightfully lionized architect Renzo Piano, eminence grise Jack Gardner, performance artist Lee Mingwei, and a pair of Italian canaries, who were all gathered in the “living room.”

This might’ve been a tactical error, as guests were supposed to continue into the courtyard for drinks, but everyone was understandably reluctant to leave. Alcohol being an excellent motivator, though, most of us did make it to the older part of the museum and up to the beautifully restored Tapestry Room. Even lovelier were the people we bumped into along the way.

These included latter-day Nick and Nora Charles John and Trevania Henderson, statuesque blonde iconoclast Alli Achtmeyer and the always-affable Bill, yummy mummies Nina Fialkow and Stephanie Harvey, a Russian supermodel who insisted her name was Katherine Chapman, NBA royalty Wyc and Corinne Grousbeck, Beacon Hill doyenne Biddy Owens and her boyish other half, Bob, John Singer Sargent painting come-to-life RoAnn Costin, and so on and so forth.

A Bacchanalian buffet was held in the new wing, and all sorts of interesting things went on all over the place, until it was time to check out Calderwood Hall.

A perfect cube and a perfect gem of a concert hall, it hosted performances by a lineup of world-class talent, culminating in an appearance by Kiwi stunner Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, whose singing moved several people to tears.

The evening’s most repeated sentiment was just how much Mrs. Gardner would’ve loved the new addition, with some added speculation as to how long it’ll be before her footsteps will be heard in the middle of the night.

The award for best impression of a Jewish mother went to the woman who greeted a friend by saying, “I have to find out you’re dating someone from reading the newspaper?”

And the evening’s wittiest exchange:

“Is she sane?”

“Well, no, not offensively so.”


Priorities
Food events to raise money for charity are as common as belches, but one that stands above most is the TV Diner Gala, held at the Seaport World Trade Center.

A fund-raiser for Horizons for Homeless Children, you could feast on foie gras or pig out on pizza, catch a bourbon buzz or get fizzy from Champagne. Even better, you could mix and mingle with the likes of cohosts Billy Costa and Jenny Johnson, Kiss 108 morning mouth Matt Siegel, the occupationally gay Jim Clerkin and his adorable other half, Mikey Weinle, dangerous duo Stephanie and Greg Loeber (fresh from the slopes of Chamonix), red hot mama Rosie Howells, south-of-the-border venturers Diane and David Patryon, man of leisure William George with the bodacious Luba Gorelik, unfairly cute couple Tim and Lisa Donovan, bewitching Weston dweller Sandra Manning Gosselin, and one man who asked his wife, “Is it gauche if I put
ketchup and mustard on this?”

However, the evening’s choicest remark came from the guest who said, “I can’t remember your name, but I never forget a mink.”  


Credits: Anne Hawley and Barbara Hostetter at the Gardner Museum party; Jenny Johnson and Billy Costa at the TV Diner Gala