The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts' annual spring benefit, held Sunday night, paid tribute to the "Art of Film Music," with a performance hosted by directors (and Kennedy Center honorees) Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg and featuring the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by composer (and honoree) John Williams. Songs from Lawrence of Arabia, E.T., and Indiana Jones, among others, were accompanied by clips from the movies.
With Hollywood bigwigs in the house (Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes arrived later in the evening), Kennedy Center director of special events Leslie Miller aimed to create an appropriately glamorous setting for the preperformance dinner, held in the atrium and the north and south galleries. The rooms took on striking color palettes, mixing stark black-and-white decor elements with splashes of red. "Every year we take our decor theme from the performance, so each has a different feel," Miller said. "Last year we had a spring feeling in the room, with lighter colors."
Miller channeled the red carpet in the dining spaces, with catwalks erected between the tables and models walking in dresses from previous award ceremonies. Neiman Marcus manager Martha Slagle helped wrangle the outfits (including the green Escada number worn by Kim Basinger when she won the Oscar in 1997 for L.A. Confidential), and New York's Siegelson provided $27 million worth of accompanying jewelry.One coordination feat Miller faced was getting the models—positioned on the catwalks in three separate rooms—to move at the same time during the dinner of poached shrimp and bison tenderloin with succotash and sunchoke puree. "We used some theater tricks," said Miller. "We did a light cue to tell them when to move so we didn't have to have a staffer waiving their hands."
Another logistical challenge: getting some 1,250 guests (who had bought tickets starting at $1,000) from the three dining rooms to the theater. As a solution, each attendee received either a black or red envelope, which included colored performance tickets and dinner seating assignments that directed them to a specific elevator bank and a matching predinner reception area (appropriately dressed in either black or red).
After the performance, guests wandered up to the Kennedy Center's rooftop terrace restaurant for mini upside-down pineapple parfaits and strawberry consomme in shot glasses, as well as big-band tunes courtesy of Big Ray and the Kool Kats.
With Hollywood bigwigs in the house (Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes arrived later in the evening), Kennedy Center director of special events Leslie Miller aimed to create an appropriately glamorous setting for the preperformance dinner, held in the atrium and the north and south galleries. The rooms took on striking color palettes, mixing stark black-and-white decor elements with splashes of red. "Every year we take our decor theme from the performance, so each has a different feel," Miller said. "Last year we had a spring feeling in the room, with lighter colors."
Miller channeled the red carpet in the dining spaces, with catwalks erected between the tables and models walking in dresses from previous award ceremonies. Neiman Marcus manager Martha Slagle helped wrangle the outfits (including the green Escada number worn by Kim Basinger when she won the Oscar in 1997 for L.A. Confidential), and New York's Siegelson provided $27 million worth of accompanying jewelry.One coordination feat Miller faced was getting the models—positioned on the catwalks in three separate rooms—to move at the same time during the dinner of poached shrimp and bison tenderloin with succotash and sunchoke puree. "We used some theater tricks," said Miller. "We did a light cue to tell them when to move so we didn't have to have a staffer waiving their hands."
Another logistical challenge: getting some 1,250 guests (who had bought tickets starting at $1,000) from the three dining rooms to the theater. As a solution, each attendee received either a black or red envelope, which included colored performance tickets and dinner seating assignments that directed them to a specific elevator bank and a matching predinner reception area (appropriately dressed in either black or red).
After the performance, guests wandered up to the Kennedy Center's rooftop terrace restaurant for mini upside-down pineapple parfaits and strawberry consomme in shot glasses, as well as big-band tunes courtesy of Big Ray and the Kool Kats.
The Kennedy Center gala's preperformance dinner
Photo: Joseph Allen
The Kennedy Center gala's preperformance dinner went for a black and white color scheme, with all-white centerpieces in black vases.
Photo: Joseph Allen
During the dinner, models walked down raised runways, set up amid the tables.
Photo: Joseph Allen
Neiman Marcus dressed the models in gowns seen on the red carpet, including a dress worn by Katherine Heigl at the Golden Globes.
Photo: Joseph Allen
The dinner featured bold, swirl-patterned linens.
Photo: Joseph Allen
One of the predinner reception areas featured all-red decor, with red rose bouquets and red draped walls.
Photo: Joseph Allen
