Farewell for now
Thursday before last, I enjoyed a phenomenal night of dancing, dining, and slapstick comedy at the Charleston Ballet Theatre’s annual Charlie Awards. It was a glamorous affair that had guests walking down the red carpet at the CBT’s black box theatre on upper King Street and dishing fashion with Greg Tavares—member of the local improv comedy group the Have Nots! and our local version of Ryan Seacrest—before enjoying dance interpretations of the Academy Award “film of the year” nominees. I don’t get to the ballet nearly as often as I would like, and I’m always amazed by the vigor and erotic aesthetic of dance. In other words, it was hot. Also of note: the spectacular ruby and diamond jewelry worn by CBT board member Leah Greenberg. Many women were attired in red dresses in celebration of MUSC’s Go Red campaign, but Mrs. Greenberg’s glittering gems, which looked like they were on loan from the Hermitage Museum, rocketed her red attire to an entirely different stratosphere.
We then dodged raindrops as we crossed the street to the William Aiken House for the seated dinner portion of this on-the-move party. This event is one of my most anticipated Fete Set affairs thanks to its innovative table decor. The ballet invites a slew of talented designers to each decorate one table with a movie-inspired theme. The results? Everything from a celebration of the silver screen sirens with mink stole seat covers and silver cigarette cases to a giant boat paying homage to the African Queen. This year’s designers included By George Design, Something to Celebrate, Events Sublime, All Occasions, Penelope Leighton, Bloom at Charleston Place, Red Letter Events, Eventa Bella, Tiger Lily Florist (Tied for Best Table Design with their Rat Pack themed table), Anne Melvin, Magar Hatworks, c2e Designs, Out of Hand (tied for Best Table Design for their Black Dahlia table), Luke Wilson Special Events, Belinda Cole, Blanche Darby Florist, Peacock Events, and Katherine Landing.
After dinner, guests walked next door to the American Theatre, where the Have Nots performed spoofs of the ballet’s interpretation of the award-nominated films. Got all that? Last year, Timmy Finch found himself clad in a one-armed, green leotard with a fig leaf covering his manhood. This year, he wound up in even less during his spoof of There Will Be Blood. I have photographic proof of his state of déshabillér, but in the spirit of being benevolent, I’m deleting the files. Cheers, Timmy!
On that Sunday, the Lowcountry Food Bank’s annual Chefs’ Feast was the place to be. Led by Chef Bob Carter (Peninsula Grill) and Lisa Buzzelli, 24 chefs contributed their culinary prowess to this annual event that ensures hot, nutritious meals are provided to local school children.
In my coverage of last year’s event, I referred to Jermaine Husser, the Food Bank director with movie star looks, as being Denzel Washington-like, and it was a quip that his board did not let him forget during the welcoming remarks. Jermaine’s dedication to locals kids (and all people in need) is unflappable and doubly so now that he has a newborn daughter of his own.
This past Saturday, Charleston magazine hosted one of the hottest Charleston Food and Wine Festival tickets—the Bubbles and Sweets party. Teeming with girls in frothy party dresses and handsome bon vivants, it did not take long before the bite-sized desserts, free-flowing champagne, and hot tracks spun by DJ Moo Moo kicked the festivities into full tilt. I mistakingly took the event as my own “so long for now” going away party (I’ll get to that in a moment) and joined scores of familiar faces on the dance floor.
Fresh off her stint at Chefs’ Feast the week before, Kelly Wilson (Cypress, pastry chef) served as the chef captain for Bubbles and Sweets, and I caught up with her as she made the rounds to check on her fellow chefs. She pointed me in the direction of Le Bernardin, where I sampled a cardamom-infused piece of dark chocolate that was simply amazing.
A young girl in a flesh-colored body suit, who sat nestled in a bath tub, doled out chocolates to guests who hoped to win a spa package at Charleston Place. The plan was for one lucky guest to unwrap a foil-covered chocolate and discover a winning golden ticket, but I spotted several guests rummaging around in the box of chocolates with crazed Veruca Salt looks upon their face toward the end of the event.
When your job entails attending charitable events, a large part of your existence revolves around benevolent people and altruistic efforts. I love covering the Fete Set beat as it exposes me to some of the most heart-warming yet often under-appreciated work that takes place in our community. It is a constant source of inspiration for me. However, I am taking a one-year leave of absence from my role as Charleston magazine’s society editor, so that I may launch the U Truth Project, a web-based documentary that explores what people around the world believe to be true. I depart next week for Africa and am temporarily passing the reins to Katie Kern, a true friend to the magazine (she has faithfully served on the Charleston Fashion Week steering committee for two years and is an all around great gal). Please welcome her with the same open-armed graciousness that I have enjoyed. You may follow my project at UTruthProject.org, and I will see you all next year.
With gratitude and adoration,
Ida B.
