D AV I D PAT R I C K C O L U M B I A of the Plaza Hotel. Why the interest? (Someone who knew I was going, wanted to know.) I’d heard about this annual before and was curious. A lot of powerful women in the room, I was told. Erica Jong, Martha Stewart, and Twyla Tharp were all in the same class (’63), and Ellen Futter (the head of the American Museum of Natural History whom I greatly admire) was president of the college before moving to AMNH. The Gala was co-hosted by award-winning journalist Maria Hinojosa (’84), actress Cynthia Nixon (’88), and Barnard College president Debora L. Spar. Nina Davidson (’95) and Meryl Tisch (’77)
were co-chairs of the evening. It was like a family affair, but with a serious purpose. Despite Barnard College’s brilliant alums’ achievements, something like 40 percent of the students are on some kind of financial aid. The college needs to increase its endowment substantially to continue their great work. There were many couples attending, some of whom were only associated with the college through their children or friends’ children. The honorees were Cheryl Glicker Milstein (’82) as well as husband Columbia University alumnus Philip Milstein (’71) and daughter Toby Milstein (’14) for their extraordinary generosity to support
the construction of a state-ofthe-art teaching and learning center scheduled to open in the Fall 2018. The Milsteins endowed the college with a $25 million gift. Toby joined Tony Award– winning musical theater composer and arranger Jeanine Tesori (’83) in a musical tribute to her parents, which was commissioned specially for the evening. The second week of the month, on a Monday night, Lighthouse Guild NYC hosted its annual POSH dinner at the Four Seasons Restaurant. They were honoring four “Visionaries”: Margo Catsimatidis (introduced by Mark Simone) for her philanthropy
and humanitarian work; Kim and Michael McCarty, artist and restaurateur (introduced by Blythe Danner and Jay McInerney, respectively); and B Michael, the fashion designer who was introduced by the amazing Cicely Tyson (who, at 91, is still working and looking smart and beautiful). After the presentation, we were treated to Valerie Simpson performing some of her songs on the grand piano. This evening drew a big crowd, which was even more surprising because there were other major events around town on Monday night. Being in the beautiful, classically designed rooms of the restaurant (which will cease
L I G H T H O U S E G U I L D ’ S “A P O S H A F FA I R ” AT T H E FO U R S E A S O N S R E STAU R A N T
Barbara and Donald Tober 28 QUEST
Marc Rosen and Geoffrey Bradfield
Muffie Potter Aston, Margo Catsimatidis and Somers Farkas
James Dubin
Judith and Rudy Giuliani with Nicole Miller
Cicely Tyson and B Michael
Susan Fales-Hill
PAT R I C K M C M U LL A N
Blythe Danner, Kim and Michael McCarty and Jay McInerney