|
E- mail this page to your friends |
|
Black Tie International:
William Kennedy
|
|
|
|
Co-Host Giuseppe Manica, Dana
& William Kennedy and Co Host Barbara Ligeti.
Photo by: Ann
Watt |
|
|
|
Producer
Barbara Ligeti, Emilio Barletta
& Giuseppe Manica Host Toast to Pulitzer Prize Winning
Author William Kennedy
Author Feted
on Release of Novel
“Chango’s Beads and Two Toned Shoes”
|
|
Pulitzer Prize winning
author and journalist William Kennedy was the guest
of honor at a special toast at popular Theater District
eatery, Trattoria Dopo Teatro. Longtime friend noted film
and theater producer Barbara Ligeti along with
Trattoria Dopo Teatro owners architect Emilio Barletta &
Giuseppe Manica hosted the reception to salute the
author on the release of his eagerly anticipated new novel,
“Chango’s Beads and Two Toned Shoes”.
Kennedy received
the 1984 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for Ironweed the
third book in Kennedy's acclaimed “Albany
Cycle, which feature the interaction of members
of the fictional Irish-American Phelan family, and make use
of incidents of Albany's history and the
supernatural. Kennedy's works include
The Ink Truck
(1969),
Legs
(1975),
Billy
Phelan's Greatest Game
(1978),
Ironweed
(1983, winner of 1984
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction; film, 1987),
and
Roscoe
(2002) and now “Chango’s Beads and Two Toned Shoes.
Chango’s Beads … was featured last week on the cover of
the NY Times Book review with a glowing review by John
Sayles.
Ironweed
placed at number ninety-two on the
Modern Library list of the 100 Best Novels written
in English in the 20th Century. He has written
numerous short stories, children’s books and screenplays
including
The
Cotton Club,
with Francis Ford Coppola and
Ironweed
which
starred Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep, Carroll Baker,
Michael O’Keefe and Nathan Lane
and was directed by Hector Babenco.
Though the setting for the
party was quintessentially Italian, it wouldn’t be a
gathering of the clan without a couple of Irish songs.
Legendary actor, writer and raconteur Malachy McCourt &
his wife Diana were all too happy to oblige and
led the group in a sing-a-long.
Among those on hand
feasting on the restaurant’s justly praised Italian
delicacies were actress and director Angelica Page ;journalist
and author Dolores Barclay, producers
Christine De Lisle, Jann Cobler, Barbara Bartos and
Scott Perrin; agent Geri Charles; novelist
Lynne Tillman, author and screenplay writer Jake
Brackman, designer Berry Brown, Jeremiah James,
just back from a critically acclaimed run on the West End as
Billy Bigelow in Carousel at London’s Savoy Theater
and soon to be seen in the AMAS production of The
Countess of Storyville; New York Times best
selling author Eliza Griswold; philanthropist Jean
Shafiroff and the Kennedy Clan – his wife former Joffrey
Ballet dancer and Broadway performer Dana Kennedy,
son Brendan Kennedy and daughter Dana Nelson
Later when introduced to
actor-singer Jeremiah James fresh off a critically
acclaimed West End run as
Billy in” Carousel”, Kennedy said, “Well, sing me a
song”. A little abashed, James said “how about something
Gershwin?” to which Kennedy nodded assent. James began the
lovely “You Can’t Take That Away From me” and within seconds
Kennedy was harmonizing beautifully with the young
powerhouse vocalist!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Back to
New York Society News |
|