Masterful: The red carpet rolled out at the Broadway Theatre Center celebrating the opening of Master Class, followed by a VIP 40th anniversary celebration in the Skylight Bar & Bistro. Lead actress Angela Iannone received a standing ovation for her stellar performance, channeling the persona of opera star Maria Callas.
At the post-party, Iannone received the 2014-15 Ruth Schudson Leading Lady Award, with Milwaukee Chamber Theatre co-founder Ruth Schudson in attendance. Party sponsors were Barbie and Mort Blutstein, Inez and Gene Gilbert, Kathryn and Vern Herman, Angela and George Jacobi, Linda and Debesh Mazumdar, and Susan and Cary Silverstein. Florentine Opera baritone Pablo Siqueiros provided entertainment. In the audience were actor Jason Powell and costume designer Christy Sievers, friend of Master Class designer Shima Orans.
Partiers included cast members Alicia Berneche; Melissa Cardamone and her husband, Joe; James Fletcher and his wife, Toni; Edson Melendez and his wife, Shelly; and Brian Myers with his fiancée, Alison Forbes.
Also celebrating were the play’s co-directors, Jill Anna Ponasik of the Milwaukee Opera Theatre and James Zager, a theater professor at Carroll University, and Board President Keith Anderson and his wife, Paula. Board members who circulated included Marsha Sehler; Patrick Fennelly and his wife, Julia; Deborah Patel and her husband, Jamshed; Dan Schley; Kalai TaiHook; Allyson Nemec; Don Cress; and Dr. David Paris. Additional revelers were WUWM’s Bonnie North and her friend, Shirah Apple, plus Milwaukee Ballet Artistic Director Michael Pink, his wife, Jayne, and children Georgie and Max.
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Milwaukee Palette: The Milwaukee Domes Art Festival drew more than 40 artists from around the country, with bright skies and nonstop music by bands such as The Test 1.2 luring a steady stream of visitors. Local artists included colorist Shelby Keefe, apparel creator Lisa Leverenz, retired deputy DA Jon Reddin, metal sculptor Michael Nolte and painter Colleen Deiss. Area painters in the plein air competition were Jason Prigge, Mike Neilson, Tom Kubala and Ron Kosek. Running the show was event sponsor Steve Libbey from iNET, backed by his multitude of volunteers and the always dashing Roger Krawiecki to oversee the grounds.
The Contemporary Art Society (CAS) at the Milwaukee Art Museum held a posh summer soiree/art auction to raise funds for the acquisition of Anthony McCall’s amazing light installation “You and I, Horizontal (II).” Co-hosting were Andy Nunemaker and Gail Groenwoldt, with party liaison Diane Strauss, who turned MAM’s East Gallery into a swanky salon with items from Relics Vintage Rentals. Nunemaker doubled as the auctioneer, topping the night’s goal to acquire the installation. Among the 150 guests in seasonal chic were Groenwoldt’s boyfriend, Jeff Yabuki, Strauss’ husband, Randy, and the Lubar clan, including Joan Lubar and her husband, John Crouch, Madeleine and David Lubar, and Susan and Oyvind Solvang.
Delicious: B&D were excited to drop in at Thiensville’s newest restaurant, The Cheel, and run into Nepal-born owner Barkha Daily. Featuring her home country cuisine, Daily and her husband, Jesse, ran a tight ship with the help of Chef Joe Sandretti, bartender Nate Lueck, and servers Nay Bhulanja and Dynah Edang. Delighted diners included German visitor Chris Aussen, there with his uncle Luis and aunt Mary Macharé from Macharé & Associates Creative Communications and Design, as well as Michael and Joan McDonagh.
Going Green: The weather gods smiled on Irish Fest, drawing riders—including Nancy and Mark Ryan—to MCTS’s Brown Deer Freeway Flyer. Mark had run a 5K earlier that day with the Ryan-Murphy-Corry team, which included brother Dan Ryan and his wife, Colleen Reilly.
Going Gaelic were Phil Schultz and Melissa Mooney; Alex Ng, whose son Simon performed at the fest with the Fellowship of the Strings; Realtor John Drain, meeting up with pals Dave Bode and Sara Shreve; and the Wallach/Dearholt clan: Jason Wallach and Lindsey Dearholt Wallach with children Oliver, Maggie, Molly and Piper and Riley and Natalie Dearholt with twins Liam and Charlie.
At the Milwaukee Pub Garden, Waukesha’s Dublin O’Shea featured lead singer Keith Kucharski plus band members John Tillison, Lisa Jones and Mike Nicloy. Applauding were Kucharski’s wife, Liz Cliffe Kucharski; her father, John Cliffe, and his wife, Karen; and his parents, Cathy and Phil Kucharski. Outside the grounds, guitarist Dale Montez and Mil-Town Hitman drummer Dion Recker revved departing Fest fans.
State Fair: B&D’s annual trek to the Wisconsin State Fair included a traditional pit stop at the Wisconsin Products Pavilion, where dining on duck fajitas is de rigueur. Also grazing there on lamb specialties were Elaine Maly and her husband, Tom Taubert, along with her brother, Joe Maly, Crivitz friend Cheryl Paulson and Linda Westley.
Cheering on the bidding at the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Livestock Auction were Moira Fitzgerald and husband, Peter Kammer, Wisconsin tourism guru Dave Fantle and his wife, Cathy, Alice in Dairyland Kristin Olson, Fairest of the Fair Kaitlyn Riley and birthday gal Julie Kastenson.
If you have any tips for Boris and Doris, contact them at borisanddorisott@aol.com. Their next column will appear in the Sept. 4 issue of the Shepherd.
