Things got a little out of control at philanthropists Roy and Lea Black's annual gala at the Eden Roc on Saturday night. Following the red carpet arrivals of celebrities such as Burn Notice’s Jeffry Donovan and Girls Gone Wild founder Joe Francis, guests proceeded from a 90-minute cocktail reception to dinner, where M.C. Lea Black berated the audience for being noisy.
When the nearly 700 guests, some of whom appeared to have trouble finding their seats, wouldn't stop talking among themselves, Black resorted to some salty language, yelling into the microphone, "Just shut up," and at one point using the word fuck. Though some guests were taken aback by her tone, committee members and auction sponsors came to her defense this week.
“Lea is so gung-ho about everyone having a good time, and sometimes they drink too much and no one listens, so she has to get up and say ‘Everyone shut the fuck up!’” said executive host committee member and drag queen Elaine Lancaster.
Emeshel gallery owner Sandy Kertesz, who donated a sculpture worth $24,000 to the live auction, agreed: "Just because you pay $500 for a ticket, it doesn’t mean you can behave the way you want. There are still rules that need to be followed."
The noise continued throughout dinner before Black attempted to regain control of the crowd for the live auction. When her attempts failed, she asked the DJ turn up her microphone and yelled for guests to be quiet and listen to her.
The increased microphone volume and continued disruptions that further delayed the evening led some guests to leave before headlining acts Patti LaBelle and Lil Wayne took the stage. “The people that left probably thought this was going to be a stuffy gala with speeches and awards, and that’s just not us,” said Black. “It’s just a big party, and Grey Goose was so generous that by the time they [the guests] got in there, they were too crazy.”
Despite the interruptions and seemingly chaotic atmosphere, Black said Saturday’s event was a success, raising nearly $1.4 million for charity thus far. Private bidding on the remaining auction items is still available.
The lesson learned? “You can’t let a cocktail go that long,” said Black. “By that time people are just too bombed and you can’t control the crowd. I should have kept it to 45 minutes.”
