There was no one shushing anybody at the Lenox Library on Saturday night for the first Burlesque for Books fundraiser. Indeed, the reading room was filled with laughter along with hoots and hollers from the balcony as the brilliant Sugar Shack girls did their brainy brand of burlesque, which was narrated by an actor impersonating Walt Whitman. Event chair Karen Lee had put flickering votives on the bookshelves and the library felt like a very urbane supper club. The opening act was the magnetic duo of Kristen Gray & Michael Raye; they were followed by two silent lovesick clowns played by Karen Lee and Mark Hohlstein, who were accompanied by guitarist John Clarke. Though skeptics had worried that the benefit was beyond the pale, the evening proved to be sassy, smart and sophisticated. And over-the-top, too.
Junior Leaguer Nicole Garzino and Kris Anderson, who designed the stage set for the evening; waitresses Vaiana Cane and Karis Howes.
Photographer Cassandra Sohn, who teaches at IS 183, and her husband, Alex Sohn, a law student; Buzz Gray with his daughter Kristen Gray, who sang during the first part of the evening.
Boston University professor of music, musicology and ethnomusicology Jeremy Yudkin with his wife Kathryn Yudkin.
Kris Galli and photographer Edward Acker; Steve & Lillian Gleason form Austerlitz.
Stephanie & Scott Hedges.
Tamy Heeren who owns Fancy Pants, a consignment store in Lee that was one of the evening's sponsors, with her husband, Keith Heeren, and Karen Lee, the evening's chair; Nancy Kalodner and Doug Shufelt.
The view from the balcony.
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Matteline deVries-Dilling, founder of Lite Brite Neon, one of the evening's honoree of this year's Upstate Benefit adresses the gala from the Caboose's caboose.
- Karen Pearson. Courtesy Art Omi.
Olana senior vice president and landscape curatorMark Prezorski, president Sean Sawyer, The evenings honoree Kristin Gamble and New York State Assemblymember Didi Barrett.
- Oxygen House Photo
