Tag Archives: Brook Jay

July 16, 2012 · 11:09 am

ARETHA FRANKLIN WOWS N’DIGO GALA CROWD

…PLUS WINDY CITY LIVE’S EXCLUSIVE CELEBRATION, ELI’S BAKES BIG CAKES, CUPID'S ARROWS FIND HEDY AND LAURIE, WORLD’S LARGEST BLOCK PARTY, MARCO'S BENEFIT FOR ONE HOPE UNITED, UPCOMING EVENTS, PEOPLE IN THE NEWS, NEW WATCH312.COM VIDEOS AND SO MUCH MORE!

I knew she was called the “Queen of Soul” and I certainly loved her music but it wasn’t until I attended the 17th annual N’Digo Gala that I realized WHY she IS the Queen! This event was something special. First of all, I adore N’Digo Magazine publisher/founder Hermene Hartman. She is a one woman dynamo who loves her community and is the pure definition of giving back with her N’Digo Foundation, which she founded in 1995. This foundation awards merit-based college scholarships to students from Chicago and the suburbs and, to date, has awarded 286. Hermene’s friends and fans are legion and her Gala always includes top notch entertainment plus fun-loving, well-dressed attendees. In years past, performers including Babyface, Ray Charles (with a full orchestra), Jerry Butler and Nancy Wilson, Gladys Knight, Natalie Cole, George Benson, Ledisi and Seal have all appeared at this event. More than 1,500 guests turned out to celebrate the 50th anniversary of soul music as well as to support the foundation at this black-tie gala themed “Legends de Soul.” The dynamic and inspiring program began with hosts Hermene and NBC’s Art Norman welcoming the crowd. Hermene introduced a video showcasing past scholarship recipients and what they’re doing now, saying, “These are the youths who’ve done it their way and are now living their dreams.” It was a wonderful confirmation of the good that this organization does. The 2012 winners were introduced onstage as Pastor Charles Jenkins and the choir of Fellowship Chicago Baptist Church performed their hit song, “Awesome.” Music legends The Impressions took the stage as the concert began at 7 p.m. wowing the audiences with their infectious energy as well as their classic songs that included “Gypsy Woman” and “Super Fly,” which was an homage to the late great Curtis Mayfield. Comedian Jonathan Slocumb – a favorite of Ms. Franklin for his clean-cut style – had the crowd in stitches especially during his impersonation of Reverend Jesse Jackson who happened to be coming down the aisle at the same time. Arie Crown Theater was filled to capacity when the Queen took the stage and announced, “Hello Chicago, here I am!” Before her performance, Michelle Boone, the Mayor’s Cultural Commissioner, proclaimed June 30th to be Aretha Franklin Day in Chicago – it’s good to be Queen! She performed tirelessly for at least two straight hours, never leaving the stage. (The only concession was removing her shoes.) She looked great in a white gown embroidered with large pink/red flowers and her voice rocked the rafters as she sang hits such as “Your Love Keeps Lifting Me Higher” and “Skylark.” She introduced “Skylark” after telling of being turned away from “The Ed Sullivan Show” at age 17 when they told her they had overbooked. She said, “This is the song I was going to sing.” She played the piano during a moving tribute to Whitney Houston as photos were shown overhead. “She was gracious, she was real and my Christian sister,” said Franklin of Houston. As the show continued, photos were also shown of Aretha with greats such as Stevie Wonder, Clive Davis, Don Cornelius, Smokey Robinson and Ray Charles among many others. I couldn’t believe the energy this 70-year-old woman had! It was an incredible history making moment as she finished her performance with “R-E-S-P-E-C-T” to standing ovations…oh what a night! Ms. Franklin has won 18 Grammys and is the first female to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I couldn’t believe she would allow anyone into her dressing room after this tiring performance (let alone me!) but she did and I will never forget it. My cameraman and photog were the only media allowed in her dressing room and I will be forever grateful to Hermene for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity…check out my Watch312.com video below! But the party didn’t stop there, as guests moved onto the terrace for more refreshments, small bites and dancing – I even learned how to do the Wobble!! BTW, watch for N’Digo Magazine in your local Walgreen’s coming soon for just $1.00! Guests seen on the scene included Tom Ricketts, Albert Grace, Jr., Wayne Watson, Les Coney, Cassandra Gaddo, Cheryl Pearson-McNeil, designer Quinton de’ Alexander, Art Norman, Rick O’Dell, Dionne Williams, Milton Carroll, Jocelyn Stoller, Reverend Helen Carry, Ernesto Borges, Mr. and Mrs. Victor Henderson, Reverend Jesse Jackson, KC McNeil and James Bell. (For more information about this wonderful N’Digo Foundation, click here!)

It’s one of my favorite shows and I’m so glad they're doing SO well! “Windy City Live” hosted its one-year anniversary on June 11th at Epic on Hubbard. I was expecting this by-invite-only party to be jam packed but it was the PERFECT number of people – not too many and not too few. Executive Producer Marlaine Selip explained, “We invited all of the people who’ve made this night possible, our family, our producers, our advertisers and our friends.” It was a joyous affair and the whole place was reserved for this party including their lovely rooftop bar area where everyone seemed to congregate on this perfect summer evening. A giant cake, courtesy of Eli’s Cheesecake, was the first thing guests saw as they entered the venue. Along with Marlaine, “WCL” hosts Val Warner and Ryan Chiaverini welcomed the crowd and thanked their many contributors. New General Manager John Idler was in the crowd and laughed as Ryan joked about having his 10-year contract drawn up and ready for him to sign. It was a loving group of supporters who were all there to cheer this great show on. Seen in the crowd were “WCL” Supervising Producer Cindy Patrasso, producer Emerald-Jane Hunter (with hubby Ronny), Dawn Watkins, “WCL” regulars Mark DeCarlo, Nina Chantelle, Hank Mendheim, Billy Dec and Roe Conn (with Barb), “Chicagolicious” stars AJ Johnson and Niki Robinson, winner of “The Bachelorette” Season 5 Ed Swiderski, Kathleen Henson, Debi Lilly, RJ and Jerrod Melman, Cub great Ernie Banks, Amy Tara Koch, Grant DePorter, Chef Kevin Hickey, Terri Hickey, Maureen Schulman, Steve Shern, Jess Altieri, Paul Bryant, Veronica Zepeda, Chuck, Lindsey Avner, Kevin Aeh, Erica Strama, DC Crenshaw, Margaret O’Connor, Jim Karas, Shea Vaughn, Dan Uslan, Lisa Ripson, Brook Jay, Graham Kostic, Nicole Pearl, Stephanie Krol, Nick Harkin, Carly Leviton and Rachel Gillman among many others! HUGE congrats and happy anniversary, “WCL” – Can’t wait to see the mountains you'll climb! (To see ALL the party pics by Mila Samokhina and Steve Starr, please click here!)

Maureen and Marc Schulman have been very busy this week! Besides the "WCL" party, they also appeared at the opening of Taste of Chicago! Kelsey Grammer (Chicago Mayor Tom Kane on Starz original hit series “Boss”) performed some "mayoral" duties when he opened Taste by cutting a 1,000-pound Eli's Cheesecake in celebration of Chicago's 175th birthday and the 32nd birthday of Taste of Chicago AND Eli's Cheesecake. Restaurateur Eli Schulman debuted the cheesecake at the first Taste of Chicago in 1980. Grammer, along with the leads from “Rock of Ages,” led the crowd in "Happy Birthday." The cake was then served free to the public. Awwwwww… (Great pics by Jennifer Girard.)

Love was in the air for a popular and much-loved couple who “have been living in sin for the last 43 years," according to Hedy. Hedy Ratner, founder and co-president of the Women’s Business Development Center, and Mort Kaplan, of Morton H. Kaplan and Associates, finally tied the knot after fooling friends and family with a few false starts (some would call them pranks) for the last few years. Last year’s party celebrated Hedy’s birthday with a fake wedding but this time, the nuptials were for real. Sun-Times columnist Neil Steinberg wrote a delightful column on this remarkable and loving couple and in his interview, he asked them what had changed. “A couple of things,” said Mort. “I had a stroke in January and something happened in that period that I did not like. She wanted to get a prescription filled, and one doctor said, ‘Who are you? You’re the girlfriend.’ And I said, ‘She’s not the girlfriend!’ She was the quarterback of my recovery.” They were married on July 1st at Orchestra Hall. And they will CONTINUE TO live happily ever after! 🙂

Speaking of love, beautiful chanteuse Laurie Marchese is ENGAGED to longtime love, Bill Russ. Laurie lives in LA now but is originally from Oak Lawn and Bill, who also lives in LA, is from Aurora. Their love story could be a Hollywood movie: They met 30 years ago on the set of “Risky Business,” where Bill was an assistant to the producer and a stand-in for Tom Cruise, and Laurie was an extra in a crowd scene at the Highland Park Movie Theater. They had a whirlwind teenage romance and then parted ways as their careers moved in different directions. Fast forward to 2012 after fatefully reuniting, Bill arranged a surprise marriage proposal at the same theater where they met all those years ago and, of course, Laurie said YESSSSSSSSS!!!! Cupid’s arrows have hit their marks AGAIN!! Congrats Laurie and Bill!

The 28th annual World’s Largest Block Party for Old St. Pat’s was another blowout event with almost 18,000 people attending this two-day event in the parking lot across from the Church. This party is known for creating marriage matches and has connected dozens of attendees throughout the years. I was so thrilled to be a guest bartender along with Natalie Martinez, Dean Richards, Ravi Baichwal, Anthony Ponce, Stefan Holt, Marcus Riley, Borris Powell, Sherren Leigh, Dori Wilson, Jason Knowles, Aly Bockler and Andrea Metcalf. Proceeds support the church and the Center for Social Concerns on the Old St. Pat’s campus, which houses the following outreach programs: Horizons for Youth, Career Transitions Center of Chicago and the Global Alliance for Africa. Ben Folds Five and Lifehouse headlined the event. Watch312.com was THERE to cover all the fun – check it out below!!

Hope you can join me for the second annual White Party in support of One Hope United. Founded by handsome man-about-town Marco Foster, this night will also be a celebration of his birthday! Marco decided what better way to celebrate than to give back with 100 percent of all proceeds going to this wonderful charity whose mission is to protect children and strengthen families in Chicago. Hosted by Akira Chicago’s owner Jon Cotay, WGN’s “Living Healthy Chicago” host Jane Monzures, PR pioneer Chris Foltz and moi, this party with a purpose will be held on July 27th at Underground, located at 56 W. Illinois, from 9 to 11 p.m. Hope to see you there! (For tickets and more info, please click here.)

Congrats to David Rothstein and his dynamic and talented music company on their 12-year anniversary! This versatile 11-piece orchestra has won numerous awards, performed for celebrities and Fortune 500 companies, and is regularly flown cross country for special events. And besides being such a talent, he has a big philanthropic heart, too! His “Share the Love” program is nothing short of genius. After weddings, instead of throwing away floral arrangements or begging guests to take them home, David delivers them to the nearest nursing home or women’s and children’s shelters. He has also made numerous charitable contributions of his musical talent. And on top of it all, this cute guy is single, too! (Ladies are you listening?) Anyway, I’m thrilled for his success and can’t wait to watch his star climb even higher! (For more info, please click here and for a sample of his work, see video below.)

After almost 17 years in the luxury and exotic automotive industry, handsome Sven Asmus has decided to pursue his passion. On July 11th, Hilton/Asmus Contemporary Art Gallery opened its doors at 716 N. Wells St. in Chicago’s River North Art District. His gallery will specialize in modern and contemporary paintings, limited edition graphics, glass art, sculpture and photography. A separate division, Art Travel Adventures, will arrange art-related trips throughout the world to places like Spain, Turkey and the Himalayas. For more info, please visit www.hilton-asmus.com. Congrats and good luck, Sven!

Congratulations are in order for Chicago’s own Sherren Leigh! The Arnstein & Lehr law firm is honoring the TCW magazine founder and publisher with its sixth annual Woman of Vision Award on behalf of her Today’s Chicago Woman Foundation, which is highlighting 30 charities for its 30th anniversary. One of these charities, the Chicago Battered Women’s Network is also supported by some of the firm’s attorneys who will be presenting a check earmarked for CBWN. For more info on the TCW Foundation, please click here and for info on CBWN, please click here.

Now for some up and coming Windy City events! This year’s Chicago Dancing Festival will begin on August 20th thru August 25th. Venues for this free-to-the-public festival will include Grant Park, MCA, Millennium Park, Harris Theater and the Auditorium Theater of Roosevelt University. Works will be presented by world class choreographers and performed by top dance companies from across the country. (For more info, please click here!)

Chefs & the City will be returning for its eighth year to the Ritz-Carlton on July 27th. Guests will enjoy savory fare presented by 26 of Chicago’s top chefs to benefit Vital Bridges Center on Chronic Care which helps people impacted by HIV/AIDS. The VIP Reception begins at 6:30 p.m. and the Main Tasting at 7:30 p.m. DJ Megan Taylor will be mastering the mixes while Honorary Chairs Amanda Puck, Rich Varnes, Jason Dohmann and Chef Chair Ryan Pitts mix and mingle. There will be a live auction as well as a grand raffle. (For tickets, beginning at $250, visit www.vitalbridges.org.)

“Live.Love.Life: Where Grit Meets Glam,” hosted by WGN’s Jane Monzures, will be held at the Chicago Cultural Center on August 18th from 8 p.m. until midnight. This benefit for Northwestern Memorial Foundation will feature entertainment, fashion and sports all mixed into one philanthropic package! For more info, visit www.live-love-life.org.

Skyline Soiree will be held at the River East Art Center on July 27th from 7 to 11 p.m. Hosted by the Associate Board of Ambassadors of the American Cancer Society, this party will include an open bar, heavy hors d’oeuvres, silent auction and live music by Final Say: A Maggie Speaks Band. For tickets, $95 in advance and $105 at the door, please visit www.skylinesoiree.org.

I am so happy Chuck and I got a chance to take a weekend getaway trip to Michigan – we were thrilled to spend time with good friends in fabulous spots! The lake was like glass and I even tried kayaking for the first time with friends Paul Iacono, Ken Norgan and Pepe Conforme. We also had a delicious dinner at fabulous caterer George Jewell’s Burscott Park estate and met uber-talented interior designer, Jim Dennen. (Friends if you need a designer, OMG call this guy – his home is completely and utterly gorgeous!) Thanks to all for a great time away from my computer, sort of! 🙂 (To view more pics, please click here!)

Well, I hope you’re having loads of summer fun and staying cool! Thanks for joining me again for another edition of my blogazine! If you’re so inclined, please follow me on Twitter and join my Facebook page, Candid Candace. Have a wonderful week!

Love, as always,
Candace
Candace@CandidCandace.com

P.S. Loved the pics Diane Edelman sent from her trip to Sapphire, North Carolina. “Every view was picture perfect. It’s incredible what God has created,” said Diane who had travelled there with her beloved Chadwick Randolph Cat IV. :)(To see all of these great pics, click here!)

THE JOFFREY BALLET’S CELEBRATION GALA RAISES $1.336 MILLION

…PLUS AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY’S DISCOVERY BALL, ADLER PLANETARIUM HONORS DYNAMO, CHEFS NIGHT OUT FOR COMMON THREADS, A NIGHT IN BLUE & WHITE WITH CARDINAL FRANCIS GEORGE, DUPAGE CHILDREN’S MUSEUM CELEBRATION, WOMEN IN ENTERTAINMENT, FASHION COLUMBIA 2012, STELLA FOSTER HONOR, PLAYBOY SAYS GOODBYE AND MORE!

The Joffrey Ballet’s Celebration Gala honored the 10th anniversary of its Women’s Board at the legendary Palmer House Hilton on Sunday, May 6th. The grand affair began at the Auditorium Theatre with a special performance created by artistic director Ashley Wheater. Beginning with George Balanchines’ “Stars & Stripes,” this segment included a uniformed Ashley dancing and then stepping out of the line to deliver his opening remarks to a surprised and appreciative crowd. It was one of my favorite performances so far, maybe because the evening was so special to me personally since this was my fifth Joffrey event co-chairing with Helen Melchior. We started planning this benefit two months or so before. Our co-chairs were chosen for their dynamism and willingness to work hard to bring this vision to light. They included Donna LaPietra, designer Pamella Roland DeVos, Victoria Holdren, Mary Pat Burns, Liz Sharp, Joan Colmar, Kate Bensen, Leslie Hindman, Jan Melk, Anne Kaplan, Nancy Gottlieb Bauer and Mary Jo Basler. Maureen Dwyer Smith served as 10th Anniversary Chair. Donna LaPietra (Kurtis Productions) created a remarkable tribute video which was shown during the Gala dinner. It contained archival photos as well as taped comments from Nate Berkus (who had hosted the first two Couture & Cocktails), Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Ashley Wheater, executive director Christopher Clinton Conway, the Joffrey dancers and dancers from the Bridge and Exelon Strobel Step Up programs. There were also photos and video clips from past Women’s Board events as well as member photos. In short, it was a collection of treasured memories from the past 10 years of the Women’s Board. There were many firsts for this event starting with the fact that it was held on a Sunday. This date happened to coincide with the closing performance of the season and, typically, the Junior Auxiliary Board hosts an event to celebrate this occasion. Because of this fact and because we felt it would be a great idea to combine forces, we partnered with the JAB (for the first time) for the Grande Finale party in the Empire Room. From beginning to end, the night was a true celebration in the style the Joffrey is known for. With exquisite décor by Tom Kehoe Designs, the room literally glowed with white orchids and lilies filling lighted crystal vases throughout the Grand Ballroom. Mayor Emanuel welcomed the crowd and mentioned his brief moment in time as a Joffrey dancer. Then Helen and I thanked our co-chairs, committee, sponsors, Women’s Board and, of course, the dancers who inspire us every day. Una Jackman, a producer of the film “Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance,” was the recipient of the Arpino Angel Award. This event was the Joffrey's second largest fundraiser, after the 50th anniversary gala in 2006, raising more than $1.336 million!!!! (Special thanks to Pomellato jewels (41 E. Oak St.), Alayna Washington Crenshaw and Women’s Board member Christina Gilberti for making me feel like a fairy princess! I wore a rose gold bracelet recently worn by J. Lo, from their Tango line consisting of 30 carats of brown diamonds worth $101K with matching earrings ($22K). Also thanks to Bill Zwecker for the great write-up about the event and my jewels in his Sun-Times column! My black dress, which, coincidentally, slightly resembled a tutu, was from STRUT Boutique at 2549 N. Clark St. (owner Niala Conte has fabulous style and chooses beautiful pieces with budget friendly prices) and my elegant co-chair, Helen Hall Melchior, wore Jason Wu (from Nordstrom) to perfection! (Thanks to Mila Samokhina and Bob Carl for these great pics; to see more photos on Chicago Now, please click here!)

The Discovery Ball at the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel attracted a crowd of more than 700 guests and 200 dedicated volunteers to benefit the American Cancer Society on Saturday, April 28th. The evening began with co-chairs Anna and Greg Brown (chairman and CEO of Motorola Solutions) welcoming guests to a VIP reception. Brown introduced the evening’s emcee, CNBC’s Maria Bartiromo, who is the first reporter to ever broadcast live from the floor of the NY Stock Exchange. After the reception, guests perused more than 200 silent auction items before moving into the ballroom with a Hamptons theme. Heffernan Morgan’s décor was inspired by the Browns’ home in Cape Cod. Anna wanted a clean elegant look to the event which featured blue hydrangeas and candles inside hurricane vases – it was gorgeous! In 2006, the first Discovery Ball was co-chaired by Motorola CEO Ed Zander and his wife, Mona, and last year, the Zanders were the honorees when the event hit the $10 million mark. Comedian Kevin Nealon was the featured entertainment and he had the crowd in stitches. At one point, he helped sell a Tiffany diamond cocktail ring, modeled by gorgeous Veronica Zepeda, for $30K to a lucky bidder! Iron Chef Bobby Flay flew in from NY to participate in a live auction package that included a dinner for 14 prepared in the winner’s home. This popular live auction package was the hit of the night, selling to three bidders for a total of $218K! Another “live” auction package – a darling silver Labrador puppy – sold to co-chair Greg Brown for $35K. Other packages included a trip to Australia ($22K), a Phil Mickelson golf package ($16K) and a trip for two to the 2012 Olympic Games in London ($24K). Notables seen on the scene included Bill Daley, Kim Duchossois, Kristina and Mike McGrath (who donated a 2013 Acura RDX for the event), Ramona and Dan Ustian, Victoria and Gary Holdren, Ashley Bond and Matthew Pritzker, Blackhawks’ Coach Joel Quenneville with wife Elizabeth, Oracio Marquez, Nancy and Michael Reinsdorf, Sonya Jackson and Kathleen and Mike Henson. Approximately $2.7 million was raised on this night to support the American Cancer Society, aka “The Official Sponsor of Birthdays.” For more info, please visit www.cancer.org. (Fab photos by Mila Samokhina…click here to view more!)

For the 10th year, the Women’s Board of the Adler Planetarium held its Women in Space Science Award Celebration luncheon at the Union League Club recently. The event honors women’s accomplishments in the fields of science and technology and, this year, honored Dr. France A. Cordova, president of Purdue University and the first woman to lead the institution. Dr. Cordova is a former NASA chief scientist, a Senate-confirmed member of the National Science Board and also a member of the Smithsonian Institution Board of Regents! Following the luncheon, this inspiring woman met with 250 middle school girls from Chicago Public Schools at the Adler. Chairs for this 2012 WISS celebration were Teri Monte and Lisa Jozwiak; committee members included Nancy Temple, Cynthia Ballew, Elaine Cottey, Courtney Pitt, Pamela Pohl, Meg Prendergast, Donna Beering, Linda Celesia, Sarah Fritz, Caroline Becker and Lisa Lewis. The Adler Planetarium – America’s FIRST Planetarium – was founded in 1930 by Chicago business leader Max Adler. For more than 80 years, the Adler has inspired the next generation of explorers by sharing the personal stories of space exploration and America’s space heroes.

Common Threads' Annual Black Tie Gala was held at the River West hotspot, Nellcote. Culinary rock stars for the evening included chefs Jose Garces (smoked oyster soup), Paul Kahan (Dungeness crab salad), Michael Laiskonis (black sesame panna cotta), Bill Telepan (Normandy duck with foie gras custard), Jared Van Kamp (rib eye with Perigueux sauce) and Marc Vetri (ravioli with fava beans). One hundred twenty elegant guests attended this $1,000-per-person event and enjoyed a six-course seated dinner with wine pairings plus a performance by JC Brooks & Uptown Sound. Hosted by Gwen Farinella, Anne Hokin, Sonya Jackson, Brook Jay and Linda Levine, the evening raised more than $140K for Common Threads! (To view more pics from this event, please click here!)

"A Night in Blue and White" began with a beautiful solemn high mass said by Cardinal Francis George at St. Ferdinand's on the Northwest Side Tuesday, May 8th. “I always love coming back to the NW side where I grew up,” said Cardinal George. “Founded 75 years ago at the end of the Great Depression, it took a great deal of hope for the sisters to come here when there wasn't much hope around. My father always had
a job but he didn't always get paid.” Established in 1937 by the order founded by St. Julie Billiart (the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur), Notre Dame High School for Girls is a small (81 students), all-girls college prep high school. They boast a 16 to 1 student-teacher ratio with 65 percent of the faculty and staff holding master’s degrees or higher. The Class of 2011 earned more than $1.1 million in scholarships and awards towards higher education. On this night, the celebration continued after mass in the auditorium with Cardinal George being surprised by Chair Emeritus Dia Weil with a birthday cake and students singing “Happy Birthday.” (Even though his birthday was in January, they still celebrated their 75th year together.) Ariel Reboyras, Alderman of the 30th Ward, was on hand to offer congratulations along with past alums…some from as far back as the Class of 1943. Avanti Gourmet Catering and Oak Mill Bakery provided a delicious buffet for the evening. Molly Socha from ND's Development Office helped coordinate the event with help from students, faculty and staff along with Michelle Durpetti of Michelle Durpetti Events. It was truly a night of joyous celebration as the high school seniors excitedly spoke about the colleges they would be attending as well as how much they would miss “this fine school that has taught them so much.” Congrats to co-chairs, Noreen Musica and Susan Miller, for this delightful celebration! To learn more about this wonderful institution, please click here. I was honored to be included. 🙂

The DuPage Children’s Museum hosted its Champions for Children Benefit Ball at Hotel Arista in Naperville. Presented under the sparkling stars of a dramatic Venetian night, the black tie optional benefit was a glamorous night of live entertainment, unique auction items and special honorees, all to support educating young children. Emceed by ABC 7’s Judy Hsu, the evening honored the late Dorothy Carpenter, who co-founded DCM with Louise Beem. Last year’s Honorary Chairs, Tom and Brenda Harter, introduced this year’s 2012 Benefit Ball Honorary Chair, Amy Louis. The Museum impacts children’s lives by providing educational programs for 40,000 school children and welcomes more than 300,000 visitors per year. (To view additional pics from this event, please click here!)

A big thank you to Sheila Henley for including me in her W.IN.E (Women in Entertainment) Forum TV segment! Sheila created W.IN.E by asking one simple question: “Where are the women in entertainment and what do they have to say about the industry?” With that, Ms. Henley started the W.IN.E newsletter, which grew to become the W.IN.E magazine and now, W.IN.E TV. Sheila says, “W.IN.E TV has a commitment to be a platform for women who are visionaries and pioneers in their field of entertainment and to encourage and provide role models for women, as well as men. This platform will allow women to share their successes and failures of making it in this dynamic industry. W.IN.E TV will encourage and promote content that will be suitable for all ages. W.IN.E has been a voice for women in entertainment for almost 12 years.”(Visit W.IN.E TV on You Tube and check out my segment here!)

Congratulations to wonderful writer Margie Wilson-Mars for her beautiful and lovingly-written article for Gather News about Playboy leaving Chicago titled “Hugh Hefner and Playboy Say a Bittersweet Goodbye to Chicago.” She has known Hef since she was five years old having met him and Barbie Benton when they took a trip to Disneyland. Her father and mother used to have parties at their home in Miami and many of the Playmates would attend. Margie became a fan saying, “I would sneak out of the room in awe of these glamorous women, just to get a peek at the clothes, hair, etc.” Her article is a must-read for Playboy fans and I was honored to be included.

Our own Stella Foster, Sun-Times columnist extraordinaire, will be honored with the 2012 Dante Award at a luncheon hosted by the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans at Galleria Marchetti, located at 825 W. Erie, on Thursday, May 17th, beginning at 11:30 a.m. Tickets are $45 and can be purchased by calling 708.450.9050 or by emailing jcc@jccia.com. JCCIA’s illustrious members include Dominic DiFrisco (President Emeritus), Antonio Romanucci (President) and Jo Ann Serpico (Executive Director).

Join Desiree Rogers for Columbia College’s premiere spring fundraising event, Fashion Columbia 2012, on Friday, June 8th beginning at 7 p.m. This event will feature the work of students in the Fashion Studies program with net proceeds benefitting the newly established Eunice W. Johnson Scholarship Fashion Studies Fund. Jewelry designer Lana Bramlette (Class of ’97), will be honored with the Alumni Achievement in Fashion Design Award, as her Lana Jewelry line is worn by celebs and fashionistas around the globe. Host committee members include Trish Rooney Alden, Madele
ine Moore Burrell, Gwendolyn Butler, Nora Daley, Susan Downing, Ikram Goldman, MK Pritzker, Shawnelle Ritchie, Julie Latsko, Rich Gamble, Diane Primo, and Mellody Hobson among others. General admission tickets are $150 per person, VIP tickets are $250 and standing room only tickets are $75. For more info, please click here.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this week’s Candid Candace! Please send any information on events, parties or people YOU would like to see covered to Candace@CandidCandace.com! And, as always…

Love,
Candace 🙂

P.S. Congrats to beloved photographer, Amie Hana, on her recent feature in Marie Claire Magazine titled "Call Me a Professional." Her work is well known in Chicago and now the world will know of her incredible talents too! Check out one of her recent portfolio pics from "Red Riding Hood in Venice" – in a word: SPELLBINDING! Congrats, Amie!