| EVENT REPORT 11.19.07 1:09 PM |
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| Whale-Sized |
| A sold-out crowd and top talent helped make the Museum of Natural History's fall gala its most successful benefit. |
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The American Museum of Natural History's gala typically draws a crowd of some of New York's power players, as well as plenty of their dollars. Thursday night's event—the museum's largest fund-raiser of the year—was no exception. In fact, as the institution's senior vice president for development and membership, Lynn DeBow, explained, it was the most successful ever, drawing the most people and the most money in the gala's history. A crowd of 650 guests donated $3.2 million to the organization's science and education programs.
The evening included cocktails among the museum's towering iconic dinosaur figures (uplit in red for the occasion) in the Theodore Roosevelt Rotunda, followed by dinner under the 94-foot blue whale replica in the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life. The benefit also included a live auction conducted by Sotheby's C. Hugh Hildesley, and performances by Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers—on a break from Saturday Night Live due to the writers' strike—and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. The evening traditionally features comedy and live music components, the recruiting for which DeBow credited museum trustees Tom Freston (former C.E.O. of Viacom) and Saturday Night Live executive producer Lorne Michaels. "They're amazing. We count on them to get the best talent," DeBow said. Previous musicians and comedians who have performed at the benefit include Conan O'Brien, Neil Young, and Paul Simon. |
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PHOTO GALLERY |
 | Red lighting accented the dinosaur skeletons and the rotunda's columns.
Photo: Alison Whittington for BizBash |
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 | Overflowing bouquets decorated the entrance to the museum.
Photo: Alison Whittington for BizBash |
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 | The museum's blue whale hovered over guests.
Photo: Alison Whittington for BizBash |
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 | White lights lined the stairs leading to the dinner space.
Photo: Alison Whittington for BizBash |
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 | The museum's signature dioramas surrounded guests during dinner.
Photo: Alison Whittington for BizBash |
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 | Tom Petty performed as part of the night's entertainment.
Photo: R. Mickens/AMNH |
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 | Guests including Alec Baldwin and Donna Dixon took in the live auction.
Photo: D. Finnin |
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The museum brought in a new designer, Darryn Murphy, to style the event this year. Decor consisted of floral arrangements of roses, peonies, berries, and greenery, red accent lighting, and tabletops featuring hues of salmon, brown, and pink. Restaurant Associates served appetizers including tuna tartar and chicken crisps with orange glaze, as well as the gala's dinner.
Alec Baldwin, Harvey Weinstein, Tina Fey, Tom Brokaw, Jimmy Buffett, and Wendi Murdoch were just a few of the high-wattage attendees.
—Mimi O'Connor
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American Museum of Natural History
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