Renée Fleming’s Spellbinding Performance Crowns Special Opera Ball Honoring Patrick Summers
Tania Kanga, Nancy Gonzalez, Denise Reyes, Ona Alicia Okeke and Destiny Fernandisse (photo by Dave Rossman)
By Jeff Gremillion
The Houston Grand Opera Brilliance Ball glowed with special significance this year, becoming not just a luminous white-tie celebration of light and legacy — but also a heartfelt sendoff to beloved Artistic and Music Director Maestro Patrick Summers. It raised over $1.8 million to boot.
On April 11 at the Wortham Theater Center, nearly 400 distinguished guests gathered for an evening of elegance and inspiration that perfectly captured HGO’s 2025-26 season theme, The Light We Hold. Chaired by devoted philanthropists John G. Turner and Jerry G. Fischer, the 2026 Opera Ball honored Summers’ more than 25 years of visionary leadership with the company’s Silver Rose award and culminated in a once-in-a-lifetime performance by internationally acclaimed soprano Renée Fleming.
In her remarks, HGO General Director and CEO Khori Dastoor thanked the evening’s chairs and generous donors, then paid tribute to Summers. His “unshakable vision,” she said, “has transformed our company and enriched our city.” Summers, visibly moved, told the crowd, “I thank you all for this long privilege of your support, friendship, and for our shared love of this company. I ask that you please continue to ensure that this company is a beacon in the arts world.”
Fleming, accompanied by HGO Chief Artistic Officer and Chorus Director Richard Bado on piano, held guests spellbound with an intimate program that included “I can smell the sea air” from André Previn’s A Streetcar Named Desire, “O mio babbino caro” from Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi, Andrew Lippa’s “The Diva,” and a stirring “You’ll Never Walk Alone” from Rodgers and Hammerstein II’s Carousel.
The evening began with an elegant cocktail hour featuring caviar on freshly prepared blinis and a martini bar, while fashion sketch artists captured guests in their evening attire as personalized keepsakes. The live auction offered a show-stopping item: a Steinway Model M Spirio piano pre-loaded with recordings by Patrick Summers himself.
City Kitchen Catering served a refined dinner of seasonal asparagus salad, duck à l’orange with duchess potatoes, and a classic finish of Black Forest cake and floating islands. The Events Company transformed the space into a luminous wonderland of soft lighting, candlelight, gold accents, and elegant white floral arrangements — the perfect backdrop for dinner and dancing that lasted into the early morning hours with The Big Beyond.
Guests included James Gaffigan and Marta Wasilewicz-Gaffigan, Margaret Alkek Williams, Kristy and Chris Bradshaw, Zane and Brady Carruth, Theresa Chang, Anne and Albert Chao, Isabel and Danny David, Anna Dean, Hallie Vanderhider and Bobby Dees, Elaine Finger, Brigitte Kalai, Beth Madison, Denise Monteleone, Beth Muecke, David Peck and Michelle Phillips, Cynthia and Tony Petrello, Louisa Sarofim, Phoebe and Bobby Tudor and Jesse Tutor.
James Gaffigan, Khori Dastoor and Patrick Summers (photo by Michelle Watson)
Matt Healey and Denise Reyes take to the dance floor (photo by Dave Rossman)
Scott Wise, Huda and William Zoghbi and Khori Dastoor (photo by Michelle Watson)
Beth Muecke (photo by Michelle Watson)
Marilyn Ingham, Sid Moorhead and Lauren Hall (photo by Michelle Watson)
Neil Hershey and Carey Kirkpatrick (photo by Dave Rossman)
James and Marta Wasilewicz-Gaffigan (photo by Dave Rossman)
Valerie and Stephen Toups (photo by Dave Rossman)
Annie Labatt and Blair and Barbara Labatt (photo by Dave Rossman)
Terrylin Neale and Jane Cizik (photo by Dave Rossman)
BenJoaquín Gouverneur and Khori Dastoor (photo by Michelle Watson)
With Billowing Blooms and Evocative ‘Clowns,’ Williams’ Opera Ball Celebrates $2 Million Take
Patrick Summers, Margaret Alkek Williams and Khori Dastoor (photo by Michelle Watson)
By Jeff Gremillion
Originally published April 2025
When the grande dame of Houston philanthropy steps up to chair the annual gala for one of Houston’s most elite cultural institutions, expect high elegance to abound and big bucks to roll in.
Such was exactly the case when Margaret Alkek Williams chaired the 2025 Opera Ball at the Wortham Center, raising a record of more than $2 million for Houston Grand Opera — with a romantic, old-school, spring-savvy “Love Is in the Air” theme, brought to life with thousands of fragrant pastel-colored florals at every turn, and a sea of ballgowns in shades of seasonal pink and green. This was the second $2 million+ ball Williams has chaired for HGO, with this year’s haul beating her own personal best from back in 2014.
A surprise highlight of the evening was a stirring performance honoring the gala’s honorees, Dian and Harlan Stai, who have supported the opera company for decades. HGO General Director and CEO Khori Dastoor “welcomed legendary mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade to the stage, where she performed accompanied [on piano] by HGO Artistic and Music Director Patrick Summers,” noted a rep for the company. “Her moving interpretation of Stephen Sondheim’s seminal classic, ‘Send in the Clowns,’ left the audience spellbound.”
Dinner was decadent, with a chilled Romanesco soup, a pairing of prime beef and pan-seared seabass, and a chocolate explosion of a dessert, with bits of fudge cake and chocolate ice cream and mousse, all bursting from a tempered sphere — again, lavishly old school. After dinner, dancing broke out on the gleaming dance floor.
In room full of VIPs, some of the top-tier swells included Anna Dean, Anne and Albert Chao, Betty and Jesse Tutor, Brigitte Kalai, Alicia Smith, Charles and Lily Foster, Cynthia and Tony Petrello, Fady Armanious, Bill Baldwin, Franklin and Cindi Rose, Hallie Vanderhider, Jim and Dancie Ware, Jim and Molly Crownover and Leisa Holland-Nelson Bowman.
Nancy Gonzalez, Denise Reyes, Christina Jack, Destiny Fernandisse (photo by Emily Jaschke)
Brigitte Kalai, Betty Tutor and Ann Ayre (photo by Michelle Watson)
Ilyas and Elizabeth Abraham (photo by Emily Jaschke)
Frederica von Stade (photo by Michelle Watson)
Jim and Dancie Ware (photo by Michelle Watson)
Jonathan and Ann Ayre and Rachel and Warren Ellsworth (photo by Michelle Watson)
Michael Broderick and Cindy and Franklin Rose (photo by Emily Jaschke)
SNL’s Armisen Headlines Laugh-Filled Fete for Children at Risk
By Jeff Gremillion
“A big crowd turned up at the Post Oak Hotel for the Children at Risk gala, raising some $360,000 focused on “understanding and addressing the root causes of child poverty and inequality,” per its mission statement.
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BY Jeff Gremillion
“A big crowd turned up at the Post Oak Hotel for the Children at Risk gala, raising some $360,000 focused on “understanding and addressing the root causes of child poverty and inequality,” per its mission statement.
Fred Armisen of Saturday Night Live and Portlandia fame was the headliner, entertaining the crowd of 430 with offbeat comedy and musical bits.
Suzan and Jeremy Samuels and Beth Wolff served as event chairs for the Stand Up for Children event. Other big shots were on hand, including emcee Khambrel Marshall and honoree Sippi Khurana. “Khurana gave impassioned remarks that included statistics for Texas showing the importance of Children at Risk’s research and advocacy, pinpointing the areas needed for change in health, education and welfare of children,” said a rep for the event organizers. “Her 3 d-grade daughter Seva gave a beautiful invocation to start the evening.”
VIP guests included and Ed Wolff, Cynthia Wolff, Courtney and Zac Harmon, Ann and Jonathan Ayre, Ajay Khurana, Kristen Cannon, Alice and Matthew Brams, Shaina Perry and Jeremy Ross, Shawn and Donald Bowers, Amy and Rob Pierce, George Connelly, Evelyn Leightman, Katie and Seth Tsuru, and David Charles.”
Bob and Ellen Sanborn (photo by Daniel Ortiz)