The Scene In and Around Boston . . . The 7th annual "Party in the Park" was held in the beautiful Kelleher Rose Garden, on Boston's Fenway. Proceeds from the party benefited The Justine Mee Liff Fund for the Emerald Necklace Conservancy. The event generated awareness for the importance of public works in partnership with private philanthropy while raising much needed funding for Boston's parks system. The 2010 honoree and special guest was Charles Ansbacher, founder and conductor of the Boston Landmarks Orchestra. Mr. Ansbacher was presented with the 2010 "Justine Mee Liff Spirit Award." Capping his distinguished 40-year career, Ansbacher has brought more people to public parks and used music to unite them, honoring Frederick Law Olmsted's ideals. Among the many VIP guests and benefactors were Kitty and Michael Dukakis, Angela Menino and Mayor Thomas Menino, Corinne Grousbeck, Tonya Mezrich, Kristina Lyons, Jonathan Dorfman, and Wendy Shattuck, the founder of Party in the Park. Event sponsors included Dorfman Jewelers, who donated a stunning $10,000 gold cuff bracelet raffle item. Dorfmans also custom designed a special necklace exclusive for Party in the Park and the Emerald Necklace Conservancy. Proceeds from the sale of the necklace, the design of which was inspired by the Emerald Necklace Conservancy logo, benefited the Liff Fund. J.P. Morgan returned again this year as Party in the Park's corporate sponsor. Winston Flowers and The Catered Affair provided flowers and catering for the seventh consecutive year. The Justine Mee Liff Fund was established to honor the legacy of Boston's former Parks Commissioner, Justine Mee Liff. Her vision and leadership drove the continued restorations and improvement of these renowned parks. The Fund supports conservancy, restoration and maintenance projects in the Emerald Necklace parks. The Emerald Necklace Conservancy was created in 1998 to "protect, restore, maintain and promote the landscape, waterways and parkways of the Emerald Necklace park system as special places for people to visit and enjoy." For more information, visit www.emeraldnecklace.org.
Unique Dining Venue for Fourth of July Fireworks Enjoyment Presenting the ideal vantage point from which to enjoy the holiday fireworks spectacular over The Charles River, Top of the Hub is now accepting reservations for its annual Fourth of July dining celebration 52 floors above the Back Bay. The party on Sunday, July 4, begins with a complimentary "Chef's Hors d'Oeuvres & Cocktail Reception" from 7 to 8 p.m. Then a simulcast of the Boston Pops concert, live from the Hatch Shell, will provide musical accompaniment for a five-course dinner, served at 8 p.m. and designed by Executive Chef Mark Porcaro. The night will be capped with a sky-high view of the fireworks at 10:30 p.m. (weather permitting). All guests will also receive a commemorative holiday program book. For information and reservations, call 617-536-1775. General Manager Raphael Oliver commented, "Fourth of July is always one of the most popular parties of the year for us. What better way to celebrate the holiday than with panoramic views of the city, a great cocktail reception, an extraordinary meal, music from the live Pops concert in the background, and finally a birds-eye view of the fireworks display over The Charles River. It's a complete evening, and Top of the Hub is the only restaurant in town to have this unique vantage point. I encourage guests to make their reservations early." One of Boston's most discerning dining destinations, Top of the Hub has welcomed residents and visitors alike for more than forty years. In addition to being named one of the world's most romantic dining destinations by The Travel Channel, the restaurant is the proud recipient of multiple Awards of Excellence from both Distinguished Restaurants of North America and Wine Spectator magazine.
Boston Lyric Opera Sponsors Aria Contest for Teens Boston Lyric Opera is pleased to announce the return of its successful aria contest for Boston area high school musicians ages 13-17. Budding singers and instrumentalists are invited to submit a video by October 5 of their own interpretation of one of 14 pre-selected arias. The contest is designed to showcase the talent of area teens and to reinforce how fun opera can be for any age. BLO's Aria Contest offers young music lovers a chance to gain valuable performance experience and compete for a cash prize that can help pay for future music studies. Milton student Alexandra Selawsky-Group, who won First Prize at last year's contest, stated, "It was great to be able to sing in that beautiful-sounding space. I was completely in shock at winning. Nothing like this had ever happened to me before." Julie House, BLO's Education & Community Programs Manager, noted, "Last year we met many really talented singers and had a great time awarding them with well-deserved prizes to support their interest in opera. This year, we are encouraging creativity in addition to great musicianship, so we added an opportunity for teens to experiment with the popular opera repertoire in a format other than a traditional solo performance." Visit www.blo.org/aria_contest for the list of arias and complete guidelines. Enjoy! |
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In addition to events covered and reported by the columnist, "The Scene..." bostonevents.com bostongardens.com
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"Party in the Park" co-chairs, left to right: Janet Atkins, Jane Roy, Lynn Dale and Holly Safford. (Photo by Roger Farrington)