What: Texas Ballet Theater Pinocchio Opening Night Dinner
Where: Winspear Opera House
The 411: A ballet's U.S. premiere calls for a celebratory opening-night dinner, and the Texas Ballet Theater arranged just that. To mark their May 17 premiere of Pinocchio, a corner of the Winspear Opera House was transformed for an enchanted evening dinner party.
Among the most notable guests were the members of the creative team behind the production, from the National Ballet of Canada. They included Barry Hughson, the company's executive director, and Karen Kain, the group's artistic director. The Consulate General of Canada in Dallas were guests of the event, with Consul Vasken Khabayan and Consul General ai Douglas George in attendance.
Texas Ballet Theater executive director Vanessa Logan and artistic director Ben Stevenson started the evening with opening remarks, thanking event co-chairs Nikki Webb and Keith Hughes and Pinocchio presenting sponsors Anne and Robert M. Bass.
Patrons dined on a multicourse Italian-themed meal, an homage to the story’s origin, before making their way inside the performance hall to watch the production.
The ballet enjoyed a successful weekend run at the Winspear before moving over to Bass Hall in Fort Worth for performances May 24-26. It tells the iconic story of the kindhearted carpenter and the charming puppet who comes to life as a real boy.
The opening-night dinner helped to raise more than $105,000, all for Texas Ballet Theater. The ballet's next fundraising event is the Tutu Chic Fashion Show on December 3, co-chaired by Anne Stodghill and Sunie Solomon, followed shortly after by the Sugar Plum Fairy Tea on December 8, co-chaired by Stephanie Stone, Chandler Winslow, and Leigh Burns.
Who: Kara Goss, Lynn McBee, Rhonda Marcus, Nancy W. Marcus, Alan Levy, Sharon Sievert, Kelly Nitsche, Crayton Webb, Madeleine Jenkins, Judge Clay Jenkins, Don Stone, Norma Stone, Lindsay Fischer, Will Tuckett, Oliver Fenwick, Collin Richmond, and Douglas O’Connell.
A scene from Pinocchio.
