Town Talk: $790,000 raised for Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and VSO School of Music
Credit to Author: Malcolm Parry| Date: Fri, 14 Feb 2020 15:00:04 +0000
ORCHESTRAL VARIATIONS: Third-time co-chair Alexandra Mauler-Steinmann and newcomer Barbara Klebanoff fronted the 30th annual Vancouver Symphony Ball that reportedly raised $790,000 and change recently. Good news for recently appointed VSO board chair Etienne Bruson. Ditto for Angela Elster who was three weeks into her job as president-CEO of the orchestra and its unique-in-Canada music school.
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra maestro Otto Tausk and new president-CEO Angela Elster made their debut appearances at the Symphony Ball.
As usual, the gala offered something no other can: Maestro Otto Tausk conducting the VSO through Bizet’s Carmen Suite No. 1 and de Falla’s Siete canciones populares españolas. William Rowson then took the baton for the event’s ever-favourite Lehar and Strauss waltzes along with foxtrots, rumbas, tangos and swing-era tunes. The gala was themed to complement a concert by the orchestra and Canadian mezzo-soprano Rihab Chaieb titled Carmen: Sounds of Spain. That induced many attendees to wear red, black and lace while tucking into Spanish appetizers and less-Hispanic (and hardly kosher) ham-wrapped ling cod. Two chaps sported kilts, while developer-industrialist-CN Rail chair David McLean wore the tartan pants that Scots call trews. Such garb intrigued Utrecht-born Tausk. Perhaps he’ll adopt it for an Orpheum theatre workout with Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture.
Crazy 8s directors (front) Brodi-Jo Scalise, Josh Aries, Daniel Irving and (rear) Ali Liebert, Bruna Arbex and Malibu Taetz received cash to shoot their movies in one week.
MORE CRAZINESS: “Here’s $800. Go make a movie. Bring it back completed next week.” That’s what Crazy8s organizers have told the tournament’s finalist film directors every year since 1991. With the cash and considerably more in donated equipment and production services, not to mention the advantage of some early-in-the-alphabet surnames, Andy Alvarez, Bruna Arbex, Josh Aries, Daniel Irving, Ali Liebert, Brodi-Jo Scalise and Malibu Taetz fanned out recently and will screen their short features at The Centre on Feb. 22. Former Bomb Girls TV-series character Liebert, whose Crazy8s psychological thriller is titled The Quieting, said: “As a director, I can wear the pink hair and nose ring I couldn’t as an actor.” Clint Eastwood may not have said that during his equivalent professional transition.
Vancouver Community College Foundation executive director Nancy Nesbitt oversaw the fourth annual Flourish gala on VCC’s Broadway campus.
COMMUNITY SPIRIT: The Vancouver Community College Foundation’s executive director, Nancy Nesbitt, and board chair Ken Cretney fronted a fourth annual Flourish gala at the Broadway campus recently. Faculty members and past and current culinary students served dishes at the event’s 23 food stations.
Vancouver Community College’s Flourish gala had former culinary student Stephanie Ma team with grad-turned Minami executive chef Alan Ferrer.
They included grad Alan Ferrer, who is executive chef at Aburi Restaurants’ Minami operation. That restaurant continues to hire those who have taken VCC’s 12-month CACE (community and career education) program for “students living with cognitive disabilities … to develop professional skills, gain practical experience and access meaningful jobs.” Among them, Stephanie Ma, who is autistic, said of her job: “I love it.” Now enrolled in CACE’s Managing Your Money program, 22-year-old Ma looks forward to a food-service career. Good for her, good for Minami, and good for VCC.
Dave and Rani Mann donated $200,000 at World Housing’s $480,130 fundraiser to build $5,000 houses for endangered Cambodian women and children.
HOME MAKERS: Livingspace Interiors owner Ross Bonetti opened his fifth-floor showroom recently to the World Housing organization that locals Pete Dupuis and Sid Landlot founded. In conjunction with former Hollywood marketer Scott Neeson’s Cambodia Children’s Fund, the event reportedly raised $480,130 for Girls 2 Grannies. That aptly named program builds $5,000 houses for endangered women and children beside the Phnom Penh garbage dump where many must work. Surrey-based Isle of Mann Property Group principal Dave Mann donated $200,000, saying: “I was succeeding in my business but failing in myself.” That was hardly a fair self-assessment as Mann, wife Rani and son Ravi’s 11-year-old Mannkind Charitable Society undertakes many humanitarian projects, including an orphanage for “untouchables” in Nepal. Meanwhile, the BattersbyHowat Architects firm has designed its second house for Bonetti. Located at Eagleridge, it may come in at a smidgen more than $5,000.
POLIMERICK: This no-fault diktat of Dave Eby’s / Gives lawyers severe heebie-jeebies / For by closing court dockets / He strikes at their pockets / And gives drivers the semblance of freebies.
Drag performer Conni Smudge, aka Chris Bolton, and Peter Carlone fronted competitions at Science World’s $1.2-million Science of Cocktails event.
THE RIGHT FORMULA: Drag artist Conni Smudge (Chris Bolton) and writer-actor-comedian Peter Carlone fronted a food-and-drink tournament at Science World’s recent Science of Cocktails fundraiser. With 35 bar and 12 food stations, the $135-a-ticket event reportedly raised its five-year total to $1.2 million. The Renovatio by Matt Benevolli was judged best cocktail. Peake of Catering chef Michael Chan’s lobster terrine won for food. Voting attendees top-rated Donnelly Group chef Brian Zuzartee’s aburi-sushi-inspired high-tea sandwiches. Year-long winners will be the 9,000 students of underserved schools whose field trips the event makes possible.
Italian Cultural Centre museum director-curator Angela Clarke and clothing historian Ivan Sayers staged a show of 1900-to-2000 Italian couture.
LA DOLCE MODA: “The sweet style” certainly describes the free-admission All’Italiana exhibition that will run at the Grandview-at-Slocan Italian Cultural Centre Gallery until March 31 or possibly later. Eight-year museum director-curator Angela Clarke and guest curator Ivan Sayers joined Claus Jahnke and the Society for the Museum of Original Costume to dress 32 mannequins in such 1900-to-2000 styles as Gino Paoli’s pompon-adorned 1960s hostess ensemble. Exhibition visitors would find equally classic Italian cuisine at owner-chef Claudio Ranallo’s adjacent La Piazza Dario.
DOWN PARRYSCOPE: Imagine Canada’s hereditary chief, Queen Elizabeth, exercising the authority long since vouchsafed to those democratically elected.
malcolmparry@shaw.ca
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