The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Saturday celebrated its opening night — and the unveiling of the sparkling new Symphony Center — with a pre-concert patrons’ dinner.
A record 1,200 guests were on hand to gaze at the newly renovated surroundings and dine with surprise guest Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, who attended with husband, Ed, whose firm designed the symphony’s new “echo” room.
To augment the fundraising, a buffet dinner for the CSO Associates was served across the street at the Art Institute (ticket price: $100, which included the concert).
The evening raised an estimated $1.5 million for the musicians’ pension fund, and CSO president Henry Fogel was clearly pleased.
“I’m thrilled that it’s happening,” he said. “We started talking about the project in ’89 and now after eight years it has finally happened. Any positive adjective you could use would describe how I feel tonight.”
The patrons dined on sea scallops and filet mignon and finished up with a dessert of Apple Charlotte. After the performance, all of the concertgoers were invited to stick around for a midnight champagne and dessert buffet.
– The stars showed at this year’s glittering ball for LaRabida Children’s Hospital and Research Center at the Four Seasons. To wit: Actor Samuel L. (“Pulp Fiction”) Jackson, director Bill (“Hoodlum”) Duke, and attorney-cum-TV star Johnny Cochran. All three were on hand to lend support for the hospital, which raised more than $200,000 for its child abuse center.
Joli and Thomas Burrell, along with Bill Kurtis, chaired the black-tie event, which sported a 1920s-era “Cotton Club” theme. Each table was decorated with flowers and plastic saxophones.
Tap dancer Martin Dumas and rhythm and blues singer Meli’sa Morgan entertained the crowd of more than 450. A chicken dinner, silent auction and raffle rounded out the evening. Tickets were $300.
– Coming up: The Chicago Bar Foundation invites parents and children to its “For the Kid in All of Us” party at the Children’s Museum at Navy Pier on Nov. 8. For more information, call 312-554-2069.
– Also in November: Laconic country music star Lyle Lovett will perform at this year’s Lynn Sage Cancer Research Foundation’s 12th annual celebration on Nov. 15 at the House of Blues, 329 N. Dearborn St. Call 312-908-9413.
