The enchanting, regal Middle East of 1,001 Arabian Nights—not so much the Middle East of the Iraq war or the Dubai Ports World debacle—was the inspiration behind the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra's (NJSO) annual Symphony Palace ball, held for the second time in its four-year history in an airplane hangar at the Teterboro Airport. Alice Golembo, the NJSO's director of special events, planned the 250-guest event.Theo Staub, president and chief operating officer of U.S. operations of Jet Aviation Holdings and an avid NJSO supporter, approached Golembo at last year's benefit about hosting the 2006 benefit in his company's hangar at Teterboro for the second year in a row. "They made us an offer we couldn't refuse," Golembo said. "Lord only knows how much [renting the facility] would have cost on the open market." (Not only did the company's support provide a free venue, but its Middle East business contacts increased attendance by approximately 40 guests.)
Along with David Mitchell of Still Life Fine Event Design, Golembo conceptualized a decor concept that paid tribute to the event's special guests from the the United Arab Emirates embassy to the United Nations; fit with musical director Neeme Järvi's musical selections of Rimsky-Korsakov's "Schéhérazade," Nielsen's "Aladdin," and Mozart's "The Abduction from the Seraglio" for the concert portion of the event; and celebrated Jet Aviation's new facility in Dubai.
Taking care to depart from common Middle Eastern themes that employ tons of color and bellydancers in skimpy outfits—the UAB ambassador was present, after all—Mitchell and Golembo opted for a cleaner, more artistic look designed to represent a royal palace as painted by 19th-century artist Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema. They broke the hangar into three sections by suspending 40-foot-long white crushed voile curtains from the ceiling. The reception area evoked a twilight garden: urns filled with brown cymbidium orchids, banana leaves, elephant palms, and slender stalks painted black and white to represent African porcupine quills sat atop tall pedestals, and white throw pillows were scattered atop black ottomans. Staffers dressed in black cloaks fanned the area with giant ostrich feathers as a dancer attired in traditional Muslim bridal dress performed a modern dance to Middle Eastern house music. (The scene mimicked the prologue to 1,001 Arabian Nights, in which Scheherazade dances for the king.)
Feast Caterers' multicourse dinner followed the NJSO's 25-minute performance. The dinner area was designed as an imperial palace, with long banquet tables covered with white Egyptian cotton tablecloths and black-bordered white runners. Frost Lighting projected goodwill wishes written in Arabic script on the walls.
Dessert was marked with a dramatic flourish, as the all-white environment was suddenly drenched with sapphire blue light and a procession of caterwaiters entered the dining room carrying sedan tables laden with sweets such as pomegranate molasses-laced watermelon cubes, almond macaroons, mini nut pastries, and baklava. The evening ended with a door prize giveaway of extravagant packages, including two round-trip tickets on Emirates to Dubai, a day of beauty at Neiman Marcus for 10, and 20-minute flights around Manhattan in luxe helicopters from Heliflight.
—Suzanne Ito
Posted 04.17.06
Photos: Stefan L. Bright (dancer), Fred Stucker Photography (dinner tables, dessert, performance)
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Along with David Mitchell of Still Life Fine Event Design, Golembo conceptualized a decor concept that paid tribute to the event's special guests from the the United Arab Emirates embassy to the United Nations; fit with musical director Neeme Järvi's musical selections of Rimsky-Korsakov's "Schéhérazade," Nielsen's "Aladdin," and Mozart's "The Abduction from the Seraglio" for the concert portion of the event; and celebrated Jet Aviation's new facility in Dubai.
Taking care to depart from common Middle Eastern themes that employ tons of color and bellydancers in skimpy outfits—the UAB ambassador was present, after all—Mitchell and Golembo opted for a cleaner, more artistic look designed to represent a royal palace as painted by 19th-century artist Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema. They broke the hangar into three sections by suspending 40-foot-long white crushed voile curtains from the ceiling. The reception area evoked a twilight garden: urns filled with brown cymbidium orchids, banana leaves, elephant palms, and slender stalks painted black and white to represent African porcupine quills sat atop tall pedestals, and white throw pillows were scattered atop black ottomans. Staffers dressed in black cloaks fanned the area with giant ostrich feathers as a dancer attired in traditional Muslim bridal dress performed a modern dance to Middle Eastern house music. (The scene mimicked the prologue to 1,001 Arabian Nights, in which Scheherazade dances for the king.)
Feast Caterers' multicourse dinner followed the NJSO's 25-minute performance. The dinner area was designed as an imperial palace, with long banquet tables covered with white Egyptian cotton tablecloths and black-bordered white runners. Frost Lighting projected goodwill wishes written in Arabic script on the walls.
Dessert was marked with a dramatic flourish, as the all-white environment was suddenly drenched with sapphire blue light and a procession of caterwaiters entered the dining room carrying sedan tables laden with sweets such as pomegranate molasses-laced watermelon cubes, almond macaroons, mini nut pastries, and baklava. The evening ended with a door prize giveaway of extravagant packages, including two round-trip tickets on Emirates to Dubai, a day of beauty at Neiman Marcus for 10, and 20-minute flights around Manhattan in luxe helicopters from Heliflight.
—Suzanne Ito
Posted 04.17.06
Photos: Stefan L. Bright (dancer), Fred Stucker Photography (dinner tables, dessert, performance)
Related Stories
Nonprofit Brings Middle East Flavor to SoHo
Built-In Decor for Olana Party
Met Entertains Guests on the Nile
Airline Launches in New York With Classy Dinner
Dubai Courts Meeting Planners
Brooklyn Museum Guests Walk Like Egyptians
At the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra's Symphony Palace ball at Teterboro Airport, giant white urns on tall pedestals decorated the reception area. Staffers dressed in black cloaks fanned the area with giant ostrich feathers as a dancer attired in traditional Muslim bridal dress performed a modern dance to Middle Eastern house music. (The scene mimicked the prologue to 1,001 Arabian Nights, in which Scheherazade dances for the king.)
The dinner area was to evoke an imperial palace, with long banquet tables covered with white Egyptian cotton tablecloths and white runners with black edging. Frost Lighting projected Arabic script on the walls.
The dessert course commenced as a procession of caterwaiters entered the dining room carrying sedan tables laden with pomegranate molasses-laced watermelon cubes, almond macaroons, mini nut pastries, and baklava.
NJSO music director Neeme Järvi directed selecctions from Rimsky-Korsakov's "Schéhérazade," Nielsen's "Aladdin," and Mozart's "The Abduction from the Seraglio," at the benefit.
