The Bigelow Report: 97th San Francisco Symphony Gala Opening

Catherine Bigelow, 7x7's new Society Editor at Large, returns to the scene to cover the opening of San Francisco's cultural season.  Check back here for her posts from the hottest events around town.

Like swallows to Capistrano, the social season and summer arrived simultaneously in our fair (and famously fog-bound) city last night at the gala opening of the 97th San Francisco Symphony. Exiting from stretch limos and town cars, some 750 snazzy swells nailed their sartorial marks on the purple carpet outside Davies Symphony Hall as they arrived at the Patrons' Cocktail party. Fabulous gowns, many sporting fishtail skirts, fluttered along a tropical breeze and dazzled amid the dappled sunlight.


Maestro Michael Tilson Thomas and Mayor Gavin Newsom

Pre-performance SFS principal pianist Robin Sutherland staked a claim on the sidewalk to observe this parade of Symphony supporting poohbahs.  Dressed in shorts and a Hawaiian shirt, the pony-tailed musician mugged with music fans prior to donning his tux.  "If this isn't the perfect weather for Hawaiian shirts," asked Robin, laughing, "then I don't know when is!"

It was also the perfect weather for Oscar de la Renta (Yurie Pascarella, Barbara Brookins Schneider, Stephanie Harman), Carolina Herrera (Ann Getty, Charlotte Mailliard Shultz, Sally Debenham) and diamond parures, a la Harry Winston, which decorated the decolletage of dynamo Dede Wilsey (whose glamorous gown was Oscar, natch).

Sako Fisher garnered this year's "wow" vote, again, in a Gaultier couture peacock-blue glam gown that featured Xeroxed designs, including a multi-strand pearl necklace on the black bodice and a faux fox (sweetie, this is San Francisco) embossed on the stole she saucily draped over one shoulder.

More than 1K revelers supped on a sumptuous Dan McCall dinner (Dungeness crab and avocado marquis, filet mignon with shallot jam and morels, chocolate pyramid and fresh berries) at both City Hall (the Symphonix and Symphony suppers) and the Lake Louise Patrons' Tent which was swathed by Robert Fountain in an eye-popping Pucci-esque homage.

And with a tap of his baton, maestro Michael Tilson Thomas ushered in the fall arts season featuring a rousing performance by guest pianist Yefim Bronfman, as well as a toe-tapping take on Leonard Bernstein's Symphonic Dances from West Side Story.

Puttin' on the ritz ain't for sissies, and this year's gala committee was ably headed up by gala chairman Karen Jung with honorary chair Gretchen Kimball.

"Karen did an amazing job," enthused Patrons' Dinner Committee co-chair Kathryn Lasater, a-glow in a kelly green Alexander McQueen gown.

"I've been in baby-land all summer," laughed the new mom who recently welcomed daughter Piper Lasater to her brood.

It was a newbie sort of experience, too, for Marissa Mayer. Swathed in a knockout number -- a one-of-kind gown by designer Catherine Martin (wife of visionary director Baz Luhrman whose line was excloo to Bergdorf Goodman) -- this was the first Patrons' Dinner Committee experience for this golden Google powerhouse.

"My big feat this week was launching Google Chrome  I'd say the Symphony experience was easier," said blond and brainy beauty who also shares a penchant for culinary confections  "In fact, tonight is like the icing on the cake!"




Symphony President John Goldman and his wife, Marcia Goldman in Max Nugus


Trent Holsman, Elena Cohen, Lori Bonn and Joshua Robison



Norman and Norah Stone (in Armani with an Argentinean shrug)


Vandy Boudreau (in Oscar), Summer Tompkins Walker (in Behnaz Sarafpour), Juliet de Baubigny (in Andrew Gn) and Amy Blake (in Lavin)


Laney Thornton (center) with Patrons' Dinner Committee co-chairs Kathryn Lasater (left) and his wife Pasha Thornton



SFS Symphony pianist Robin Sutherland with Fred and Nancy Levin



Dede Wilsey and the one-and-only Dan McCall


Margorie Swig (in Balmain) and her mom, Cissie Swig (in Arnold Scaasi)



Bill and Sako Fisher


Ann Getty


Detail of Ann Getty's Carolina Herrera train


Bob and Ann Fisher (in Monique Lhuillier)


Actress and former West Side Story hoofer Rita Moreno


Vudu CEO Mark Jung, his wife, Gala chairman Karen Jung with Ellen and Walter Newman


Andre de Baubigny and his wife, Juliet Flint de Baubigny (in Andrew Gn)
 

Former 49er Roger Craig and his wife, Vernessia Craig


Sally Debenham and her son, Stephen Debenham


Troy and Angelique Griepp (in Valentino) 


Patrons' Dinner Committe co-chair Marissa Mayer and Zack Bogue



Architect Ugo Sap and Mimi Haas, with her son and daughter-in-law, Daniel Lurie and Becca Prowda




Former Mayor Frank Jordan and his wife, Wendy Paskin Jordan


Former Secretary of State George Shultz and his missus, Protocl Chief Charlotte Shultz


Gail Glasser (left, in Jessica McClintock) with Asim Abdullah and Isha Abdullah (in Ungaro)


TJ Ryan, Ginnie Lewis, Tom Kelley and Lucy Lewis (proudly wearing Tar-jay's finest)

Catherine Bigelow, 7x7's new Society Editor at Large, returns to the scene to cover the opening of San Francisco's cultural season.  Check back here for her posts from the hottest events around town.

Like swallows to Capistrano, the social season and summer arrived simultaneously in our fair (and famously fog-bound) city last night at the gala opening of the 97th San Francisco Symphony. Exiting from stretch limos and town cars, some 750 snazzy swells nailed their sartorial marks on the purple carpet outside Davies Symphony Hall as they arrived at the Patrons' Cocktail party. Fabulous gowns, many sporting fishtail skirts, fluttered along a tropical breeze and dazzled amid the dappled sunlight.


Maestro Michael Tilson Thomas and Mayor Gavin Newsom

Pre-performance SFS principal pianist Robin Sutherland staked a claim on the sidewalk to observe this parade of Symphony supporting poohbahs.  Dressed in shorts and a Hawaiian shirt, the pony-tailed musician mugged with music fans prior to donning his tux.  "If this isn't the perfect weather for Hawaiian shirts," asked Robin, laughing, "then I don't know when is!"

It was also the perfect weather for Oscar de la Renta (Yurie Pascarella, Barbara Brookins Schneider, Stephanie Harman), Carolina Herrera (Ann Getty, Charlotte Mailliard Shultz, Sally Debenham) and diamond parures, a la Harry Winston, which decorated the decolletage of dynamo Dede Wilsey (whose glamorous gown was Oscar, natch).

Sako Fisher garnered this year's "wow" vote, again, in a Gaultier couture peacock-blue glam gown that featured Xeroxed designs, including a multi-strand pearl necklace on the black bodice and a faux fox (sweetie, this is San Francisco) embossed on the stole she saucily draped over one shoulder.

More than 1K revelers supped on a sumptuous Dan McCall dinner (Dungeness crab and avocado marquis, filet mignon with shallot jam and morels, chocolate pyramid and fresh berries) at both City Hall (the Symphonix and Symphony suppers) and the Lake Louise Patrons' Tent which was swathed by Robert Fountain in an eye-popping Pucci-esque homage.

And with a tap of his baton, maestro Michael Tilson Thomas ushered in the fall arts season featuring a rousing performance by guest pianist Yefim Bronfman, as well as a toe-tapping take on Leonard Bernstein's Symphonic Dances from West Side Story.

Puttin' on the ritz ain't for sissies, and this year's gala committee was ably headed up by gala chairman Karen Jung with honorary chair Gretchen Kimball.

"Karen did an amazing job," enthused Patrons' Dinner Committee co-chair Kathryn Lasater, a-glow in a kelly green Alexander McQueen gown.

"I've been in baby-land all summer," laughed the new mom who recently welcomed daughter Piper Lasater to her brood.

It was a newbie sort of experience, too, for Marissa Mayer. Swathed in a knockout number -- a one-of-kind gown by designer Catherine Martin (wife of visionary director Baz Luhrman whose line was excloo to Bergdorf Goodman) -- this was the first Patrons' Dinner Committee experience for this golden Google powerhouse.

"My big feat this week was launching Google Chrome  I'd say the Symphony experience was easier," said blond and brainy beauty who also shares a penchant for culinary confections  "In fact, tonight is like the icing on the cake!"




Symphony President John Goldman and his wife, Marcia Goldman in Max Nugus


Trent Holsman, Elena Cohen, Lori Bonn and Joshua Robison



Norman and Norah Stone (in Armani with an Argentinean shrug)


Vandy Boudreau (in Oscar), Summer Tompkins Walker (in Behnaz Sarafpour), Juliet de Baubigny (in Andrew Gn) and Amy Blake (in Lavin)


Laney Thornton (center) with Patrons' Dinner Committee co-chairs Kathryn Lasater (left) and his wife Pasha Thornton



SFS Symphony pianist Robin Sutherland with Fred and Nancy Levin



Dede Wilsey and the one-and-only Dan McCall


Margorie Swig (in Balmain) and her mom, Cissie Swig (in Arnold Scaasi)



Bill and Sako Fisher


Ann Getty


Detail of Ann Getty's Carolina Herrera train


Bob and Ann Fisher (in Monique Lhuillier)


Actress and former West Side Story hoofer Rita Moreno


Vudu CEO Mark Jung, his wife, Gala chairman Karen Jung with Ellen and Walter Newman


Andre de Baubigny and his wife, Juliet Flint de Baubigny (in Andrew Gn)
 

Former 49er Roger Craig and his wife, Vernessia Craig


Sally Debenham and her son, Stephen Debenham


Troy and Angelique Griepp (in Valentino) 


Patrons' Dinner Committe co-chair Marissa Mayer and Zack Bogue



Architect Ugo Sap and Mimi Haas, with her son and daughter-in-law, Daniel Lurie and Becca Prowda




Former Mayor Frank Jordan and his wife, Wendy Paskin Jordan


Former Secretary of State George Shultz and his missus, Protocl Chief Charlotte Shultz


Gail Glasser (left, in Jessica McClintock) with Asim Abdullah and Isha Abdullah (in Ungaro)


TJ Ryan, Ginnie Lewis, Tom Kelley and Lucy Lewis (proudly wearing Tar-jay's finest)

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