The
Association
of Community
Employment
Programs for
the Homeless
(“A.C.E.”)
recently
threw a
fabulous 80th
birthday
bash
fundraiser
for its
founder,
renowned
philanthropist
and art
collector
Henry Buhl
at The
Edison
Ballroom.
And this
“roaring
Thirties”
Black and
White Ball
theme
certainly
would have
given Truman
Capote a run
for his
money.
Contrary to
the New York
all-Black
dress code
of
yesterday,
White was
the
color of the
evening for
the
ladies.
Alex Donner
and his
orchestra
set the mood
with
classics
from the
American
songbook,
and guests
enthusiastically
danced the
night away.
“Punk
poetess”
Patti Smith
provided
an exciting
juxtaposition
to the
evening with
her soulful
set of
songs,
including a
breathy
Marilyn
Monroe-esque
rendition of
“Happy
Birthday” to
Henry.
Patti, who
donned a
shimmery
tuxedo
jacket,
joked that
“I’ve never
performed in
sequins
before.”
She led the
guests in
another
round of
“Happy
Birthday”
and an
incredible
five-tiered
cake was
rolled out.
The
confection
was
embellished
with
intertwining
hands,
evoking the
theme of
Henry Buhl’s
famous art
collection.
But “hands
down” the
evening’s
highlight
was a
Burlesque
performance
by a
beautiful
dancer in
1930s pin-up
girl
attire. It
was not
clear what
the crowd
around the
dance floor
enjoyed
more: the
burlesque or
Henry’s
delighted
reaction!
Felicia
Taylor,
the
evening’s
emcee,
provided
humor, but
also
sensitivity
to the real
cause of the
evening,
homelessness.
And a
stirring
speech by
one of the
program’s
“graduates,”
Kelvin
really
brought home
the
importance
of ACE’s
mission.
Other guests
included:
Dr. Ruth
Westheimer,
Curtis
Sliwa,
Ambassador
John Loeb
and
Sharon
Handler,
Countess
LuAnn De
Lesseps,
Sonja
Morgan,
Nicole
Miller,
Kipton
Cronkite,
Veronica
Mainetti,
Janna
Bullock,
Lucia
Hwong Gordon,
Lauren
Roberts,
Donna
Soloway,
Paola
and Arnie
Rosenshein,
Robin Cofer,
Suzanne
Murphy,
Catherine
Saxton,
Carola
and
Robert Jain,
Mariana
and
George
Kaufman, Dr.
Howard
and Gayle
Sobel, Lisa
Dennison,
Jennifer
Joyce
and
Ingrid
Seynhaeve.