NEWS

Fitzgerald Gala pays homage to 'Dancing Belle'

Deborah Hayes Moore
Southern Hospitality

The only thing distinguishing this year’s Fitzgerald Gala from a scene from a garden party in The Great Gatsby were the makes and models of the cars parked up and down Felder Avenue. Though they didn’t arrive by Stutz Bearcats, the guests at the 22nd annual spring party strolled along the lawns wearing flashing sequins, feathered boas, fascinators and glittering headbands, pin-stripes and tuxedos to spend the evening raising $20,000 to support the Fitzgerald Museum.

Founded in 1986 and sustained through the generosity of community patrons and gala supporters, the Montgomery location is the world’s only museum dedicated to author F. Scott Fitzgerald, and his wife, Zelda Zayre Fitzgerald, who was a native of Alabama’s Capital City.

The event was heralded a big success by museum Director Will Thompson, who acknowledged the support of more than 54 volunteers, who were involved in the party’s prep and execution, in addition to three university classes that assisted with Web and social media marketing to help pass the word in the months preceding the gala.

With their helping hands, he was ecstatic to report that the benefit’s proceeds will support the museum’s 2017 Building Restoration Capital Campaign and will help address a number of structural issues plaguing the 110-year-old property. “We’ve had several large maintenance bills in the past few years — plumbing, rotting wood,” said Thompson,so we’ve earmarked the gala profits for others we foresee in the near future.”

Though embattled by Southern elements over the years, none of the party-goers noticed, as the venue shone like a jewel amid the glow of candlelight as friends gathered to support the 2016 gala theme, “The Dancing Belle.”

The theme was derived during an aha moment for Thompson, when he recalled Zelda biographer Nancy Milford’s pages recounting a special occasion from the spring of 1916. He realized the gala was a perfect opportunity to mark the 100 years since the then-15-year-old Zelda Zayre made Montgomery’s social scene buzz with excitement after she performed a solo ballet while in attendance at her first “adult party,” a dance organized in the old Montgomery City Auditorium.

Kirk Curnutt and ASF Costume Designer Beth Novak watch as guests arrive for the 22nd annual Fitzgerald Gala (Contributed)

A tribute dance

To pay tribute to that evening, Thompson arranged for the Montgomery Ballet’s Adrienne Wise to perform “The Dance of the Hours” from the Italian opera La Gioconda, for the gala’s guests April 30. This Montgomery 15-year-old seemed to conjure the spirit of Zelda’s solo debut from a century ago. As she took the final steps of her dance, Hans Gloor and Vanessa Hopkins emerged for an interpretative dance tribute to Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan.

Their performances were highlights of the night for the 300 guests, who had been welcomed at the top of the evening by Thompson and his wife, Silvia Giagnoni, and the museum’s co-founder and chairman, Julian McPhillips. Among the arrivals helping to set a record for the Felder Avenue affair were Kirk Curnutt, vice president of the International Fitzgerald Society; Alabama Shakespeare Festival costume designer Beth Novak; and Deanna Acklin, Yi Wang and Ying Springna Zhao, who were dressed-to-impress in 1920s attire as were many of the arriving guests.

Entertaining guests at the Fitzgerald Gala, The Montgomery Ballet’s Adrienne Wise reenacts Zelda Fitzgerald's 1916 solo, “Dance of the Hours” (Contributed)

As another tribute to Zelda, A&P Social’s mixologist Tara Elise served some guests the “Zelda Fitzgerald,” crafted using among its ingredients Alabama-made High Ridge Spirits’ 27 Springs Gin and a rosemary- and plum-infused simple syrup. Others enjoyed wines or one of her three other signature cocktails, The Gatsby, The Judge and The Catholic Yankee.

When Zelda arrived in New York in 1920 and married F. Scott, they had to purchase an entire wardrobe because her Southern dresses were too big and frilly. As a tribute to Zelda as a “Southern belle,” Cathy Ranieri and Joy Deaile wore antebellum-style dresses for the gala celebration, and mingled amid the many guests throughout the evening. Haley Padgett, Sydney McLeanBrittany Wright and Chelsea McLean heard about the gala through social media last year and arrived from Spartanburg, South Carolina, to attend the 2015 event. They had so much fun they made the trip again this year and wore ravishing dresses for the Montgomery evening. Becoming well known beyond the Alabama borders, the gala also attracted Oliver Haynes and a group of seven friends from Memphis, Tennessee.

At the Fitzgerald Gala, from left, Haley Padgett, Sydney McLean, Willie Thompson, Silvia Giagnoni, Brittany Wright, Chelsea McLean (Contributed)

The Jazz Age

They sipped their “spirits” amid a scene set on the museum’s front lawn, where a large tent was erected and where the regionally popular Jazz Age band The Lo-Fi Loungers, led by the Alabama Tourism Department’s Tommy Cauthen, played a hot selection of songs from the 1910s and ’20s. Accompanied by emerging vocalist Ashley Jackson, they kept a checkerboard dance floor packed throughout the evening.

Among those there “cutting a rug” were Cloverdale Playhouse Managing Director Emily Flowers and her husband, Trey Flowers; SPLC Communications Director Kirsten Bokenkamp and her husband, Frank Knaak; Jayme and Clay Teague; Katie and Lee Murphy; Ginny Haynes; Fairlie Lane Haynes;Val and Mike Winkelman; Cheryl and Richard Bollinger; Tom Mann; Christene and Robert Prescott Jr.; Emilyn Espiritu; Jeanie McCrae; Pam and Bill Rue; Diane Teague; Marjorie Jean and Kale Kirkland; Anne and Irby Thompson; Lucy and Whitt Israel; Anne Caroline Thompson; Fern and Kenneth Shinbaum; Marie and Joe Guillot; David Wise; Melissa Bowman; Thomas Lucas; and Deanna Swindle.

Other guests sat at round tables listening to the music, and enjoying the ambiance set by Janie Wall, who volunteered to serve as the event’s party planner and decorator; and the foods provided by seven area caterers, who chipped in to make the gala a smash hit.

Irby Thompson, center, prepares to “cut a rug” 20s style, while Dianne Teague, left, and Pam Rue join in the fun of the 22nd annual Fitzgerald Gala (Contributed)

A beautiful scene for Zelda

Janie and a team of over 25 volunteers had groomed the museum’s grounds for the occasion, accenting them with burlap-draped high-boy tables. Tied with tassels, they served as the borders for the evening’s panoramic setting of four distinct outdoor “rooms.” Stretching from the south lawn, along the circular drive and into the western-side gardens, the areas were decorated with large terracotta planters and illuminated with lanterns to allow guests to wander in the moonlight.

In the Southern tradition of the “Friendship Garden,” flowers for all the evening’s arrangements were gathered from the neighborhood homes of Mariah and Michael Reilly, Phil and Andrew Murkett, Karcky Tackett, Charlotte and Joe Mussafer, Amy Herring and Windy Leavell, and Bonnie and Michael Crow. They were designed to fill vintage creamers and bud vases that topped tables under the tent, and those placed under sweeping pecan trees on the side lawns.

The breathtaking focal point, however, was Janie’s bough of orange pomegranate, tulips, lilies, roses, oak-leaf, French hydrangeas, Gerber daisies, alluring iris, amaryllis, pineapple guava and other spring-colored blossoms. She had designed them as they were climbing the residence on an evening in The Great Gatsby. On April 30, she positioned them to tower over a cloverleaf formation of tables, where guests selected Sinclairs’ she crab soup; favorites from a cheese and fruit bar; and Kings Table Catering’s spicy chicken fingers, barbeque sliders, traditional Southern cornbread and summer bean vinegar salad.

Nestled amid greenery flanking the main course, attendees discovered an eye-popping variety of desserts that included three types of petit fours from Shashy’s Bakery; chocolate, peanut butter and strawberry cupcakes from McKinney Cakes and Cara Coreale; honey walnut squares from Southern Hospitality Catering; and lemon chess squares from Louisa’s Bakery.

Enjoying the Fitzgerald Gala were, from left, Ying Springna Zhao, Ginny Haynes, Fairlie Haynes, Willie Thompson and Oliver Haynes (Contributed)

Amid Zelda’s art

Zelda had worn her pink ballerina skirt on the walk home after her debut in 1916. For the gala, pink-clad ballerinas Carrie Cassidy, Hanna Im and Julianna Crawford moved gracefully through the crowd to provide “Dancing Belle” photo opportunities, as guests took breaks from the tented area to wander inside the museum to peruse the 62 lots of offerings donated by 47 businesses and individuals for the gala’s Silent Auction.

Already filled to the brim with artifacts and memorabilia from Scott, Zelda and their daughter Scottie’s lives, the first floor of the museum was further adorned with displays of jewelry, selections from Pickwick Antiques and wines placed for bidding, as well as vacation getaway packages, spa and salon gift baskets, home décor items, collectibles and opportunities to enjoy area events and to dine in local restaurants.

Tony Walker placed the winning bid on a painting by Marcus Glenn, the visual artist for the 2015 and 2016 Grammy Awards. It was one of 17 original pieces of art donated for the auction that also included a highly prized Clark Walker oil painting, a watercolor of Zelda, and two charming pen-and-ink sketches, entitled “Zelda’s Appalachia.”

Among those mingling amid it all was Kim Cross, author of What Stands in a Storm. Cross had received the inaugural Fitzgerald Museum Literary Prize for Excellence in Writing during a ceremony held at the museum 10 days before the gala. She was also honored April 30, along with Amelia Story Strickland, who has provided 20 years of service to the museum, and Thompson, who marks his fifth year as director.

“It was about as successful an evening as we could have hoped for,” Thompson said, “and we’re already looking forward to next year.”

Planning an event?

Share your news with Deborah Hayes Moore via email at socialcolumn@yahoo.com, or by voicemail at 956-0254.