The Scene In and Around Boston . . .
By Hilda M. Morrill
July 6, 2007
 "Party in the Park" Chairs, left to right: Lynn Dale, Pamela Lazares, Jane Roy and Molly Dunne. (Photo by Roger Farrington)
The recent Emerald Necklace Conservancy's fourth annual "Party in the Park" was held in the Back Bay Fens, one of the jewels of the Emerald Necklace park system. Also known as the “Justine Mee Liff Fund Luncheon,” the festive event is held in honor of the late Justine Liff, former Boston Parks Commissioner.
The event was a benefit for the Fund, which honors Liff’s dedication to, and special love of, the park system. Her efforts launched the Necklace’s restoration and its improved upkeep as well as the formation of the Emerald Necklace Conservancy.
A highlight of the afternoon was the presentation of the “Justine Mee Liff Spirit Award” to Diddy Cullinane, “a woman of conscience who has worked with tenacity and grace to promote the civic good in the greater metropolitan area,” as noted by Emerald Necklace Conservancy president Simone Auster.
In 1989 she founded “Black and White Boston Coming Together” with the hope of improving the city’s racial climate and expanding minority business opportunities in urban neighborhoods. For the past 18 years, Cullinane has been a bridge-builder who has brought together a cross section of professionals from the public and private sectors on a range of initiatives in a variety of settings, including the annual “Black and White on Green Golf Tournament” in Franklin Park. Cullinane collaborated personally with Liff on the golf tournament, which raises funds for the “Caddie Scholars” program.
Congratulations and Best Wishes all around! For more information on the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, call 617-232-5374 or visit
www.emeraldnecklace.org.
“Big Dreams Start Small” Gala to Benefit St. Jude’s
Be sure to save Saturday, September 29 for the 9th Annual “Big Dreams Start Small” Benefit Gala, which takes place at The Boston Marriott Copley Place. WCVB-TV5 news anchor and medical reporter Heather Unruh will host the evening, a fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. We are told that last year’s gala sold out. So, don’t wait!
The fun begins at 6 p.m. with a reception and silent auction. Dinner is at 8 p.m. followed by a live auction and a fabulous fashion show from Boston designer Denise Hajjar’s “Fall 2007 Collection.” Everyone is encouraged to wear their dancing shoes and enjoy the sounds of “The Marsels” from 10 p.m. to midnight.
Denise Hajjar, the founder of Big Dreams Start Small, chairs the large committee from all over the Greater Boston Area. Vice chairs include Kathy and George Yeomelakis, Hilary Glynn, Astrid Hajjar, Linda Sternfelt, Starla Pathak and Ron Tello.
Other committee members include Cindy Aiguier, Andrew Bonica, Maryann Coletta, Tracy Egan, Maureen Flatley, Marilyn Ganame, Elaine Hajjar, John Hajjar, Erin Kimmett, Ann McGrouarty, Lannie Nader, Eric Rodriguez and Leslie Saul, just to name a very few.
Everyone is encouraged to “Dress to the Nines!”
Reservations for the festive gala must be made by September 12. For sponsorship opportunities (August 30 deadline), please call the N.E. Regional St. Jude office at 617-965-5262. For reservations and more information, you may also visit
www.bigdreamsstartsmall.com.
It’s Back to “Celebrity Series of Boston”
Martha Jones, president and executive director of the Bank of America Celebrity Series, has announced that the organization has reverted to its original name, Celebrity Series of Boston.
The 2007-2008 season marks the first season independent of title sponsorship since the Celebrity Series of Boston, Inc. incorporated as a nonprofit in 1989. The Celebrity Series has operated under a series of institutional relationships since the 1953-54 season, when it affiliated with Boston University and took the name Boston University Celebrity Series.
Highlights of the “2007-2008 Celebrity Series of Boston Season” include: Soprano Kiri Te Kanawa on October 14 at Symphony Hall; the Berlin Philharmonic with tenor Ben Heppner and bass-baritone Thomas Quasthoff on November 19 at Symphony Hall; the debut of the Bluegrass family band, Cherryholmes, on March 2 at Sanders Theatre; Soprano Audra McDonald on May 16 at Sanders Theatre; and the Mark Morris Dance Group from May 28-June 1, to name just a very few.
In total, the season will include 47 music, dance and entertainment events from October 2007 though June 2008. Persons who wish to receive a copy of the Series brochure may call 617-482-2595; or visit the Celebrity Series of Boston Web site,
www.celebrityseries.org for more information.
“White Christmas” to Return for Holidays
Boston’s “newest holiday tradition” returns when the beloved classic Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” takes the stage at the Citi Performing Arts Center Wang Theatre for the 2007 holiday season, playing November 23 – December 23. Based on the 1954 movie musical, this stage production brings the uplifting story to a brand new generation.
In its Boston debut in 2005, Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” dazzled audiences and met with rave reviews, playing to sold-out houses. Co-produced by the Citi Performing Arts Center and the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul, Minnesota, Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” plays alternate years at The Wang Theatre and the Ordway Center.
Many Irving Berlin classics are showcased in this new production, including “Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep,” “ Sisters,” “How Deep is the Ocean,” and the unforgettable title song, “White Christmas.”
“Irving Berlin was always proud of the movie “White Christmas,” and we are thrilled that it has now become a stage musical,” says Ted Chapin, President of the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization which administers the Irving Berlin copyrights. “He wrote a song about Christmas that became more than a song – it became the highlight of one film, the title song of another, and a worldwide phenomenon.”
Tickets for the Boston engagement of “White Christmas” are on sale exclusively to Club members and groups at this time; individual tickets for the general public will go on sale at a later date. Please visit
www.whitechristmasthemusical.com for more information.
Enjoy!
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