Billy Porter Shakes Up Bard’s SummerScape Gala
Amy Krzanik reports from Annandale-on-Hudson. Twinkling lights, lush foliage, green lawns that seemingly go on forever, magical Hudson River views, a mansion in the background: it’s easy to see why Bard College held its SummerScape Gala on the fairy tale-esque grounds of Montgomery Place for the second year in a row. On Saturday evening, July 22, the 19th century estate, which is now part of the Bard campus, played host to around 300 supporters of the Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts. Cocktails were created by James Beard Award-winning mixologist Leo Robitschek; dinner was prepared, using locally sourced ingredients, by Chef Ira Lee and Brenda Black of Twisted Soul in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. And what would a fundraiser for a performing arts center be without a performance? This year’s gala featured a one-night-only set by Tony and Grammy Award-winning actor and singer Billy Porter, a.k.a. “Lola” from Broadway’s Kinky Boots. This year’s gala concluded with an after-party at the Spiegeltent hosted by nightclub impresario Susanne Bartsch. Pop-up performers included Joey Arias, Amanda Lepore, and many other fabulous faces. [At left, gala co-chairs Carolyn Marks Blackwood and Gregory Quinn.]
Filmmaker Lacey Schwartz Delgado with actors Jeremy Davidson and Mary Stuart Masterson of Storyhorse Documentary Theater; The Fisher Center's senior producer Caleb Hammons and Justin Vivian Bond, an artist and performer who also hosts each year's Spiegeltent Cabaret.
Fisher Center board member Felicitas Thorne with Bard supporters Christopher Scholz, Merida Welles and Ines Elskop; Elizabeth Spinzia, supervisor of the town of Rhinebeck and an '84 Bard alum, with Amy Husten, managing director of Montgomery Place.
Chris and Carol Gorczynski and Effie and Joshua Strauss take in the Hudson River views from the back portico.
Jamie Albright and Steven Hart flank Bob Bursey, executive director of The Fisher Center; Mette and Ira Coleman pose with singer Lisa Fischer.
Nancy Donovan, Amy Sneider and Steve Mandel of Aspire Design & Home magazine; Joe Vaccarino and Alison Vaccarino with Bard professors Tanya Marcuse (photography) and James Romm (classics).
Manny Urquiza, Adam Porter-Smith, Helen and Paul Taylor, and Frank McConville.
Tim McKelvey with attorney Mitchell Klein; Nejla Liias, Tricia Reed, Dwayne Resnick and Brian Walker.
Gabriel and Gina Stulman with Bruno Vergeynst and Ruben Perez; Meg Hartigan, Eunice Irby, Mark McIntyre and Howard Irby.
Billy Porter reenergized the post-cocktail-hour crowd.
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