Diamond-inspired decor filled Jazz at Lincoln Center's (JALC) annual spring benefit at the Apollo Theater. David Beahm decorated the dining room with large, diamond-shaped ice centerpieces from Okamoto Studio.
"De Beers was one of our corporate sponsors, and David wanted to tie the centerpieces to De Beer's Millennium Star diamond, which is going to be on display at the opening of their new store on Fifth Avenue next week," said JALC deputy director of development Bret Silver, who planned the event. "We didn't want to use plastic or anything that would be a bad version of a diamond, so we used ice, which is a natural material, like diamonds." A transparent Lucite tray filled with crushed ice kept the sculpture cold inside the tented dining room, and Beahm scattered white orchid blossoms in and around the tray. 4 Wall Entertainment washed the room with a cool, purplish-blue light, for an extra icy effect.
The dinner followed a concert featuring a diverse lineup: JALC musical director Wynton Marsalis and his septet accompanied acts including Lyle Lovett, the Blind Boys of Alabama, Tom Jones (who sang his hit "It's Not Unusual," to the crowd's utter delight), James Moody, Robert Downey Jr., and Wynonna Judd, who wore real diamonds from De Beers' collection.
And in case you were wondering—as we were—why the event wasn't held at JALC's new home at the Time Warner Center, Silver told us the annual spring gala is held in Harlem to maintain the organization's ties to the neighborhood.
—Suzanne Ito
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