About the receiving line
Much thought goes into the makeup of the Denver Debutante Ball’s receiving line, which in turn can generate some interesting tidbits. Such as:
Katie Stapleton, the perennial honorary chairwoman, has retired and relinquished the title to Barbara Knight. Stapleton, along with the late Helen Black, business manager of what was then the Denver Symphony Orchestra, and the late Helen Burns, president of the symphony guild, founded the ball in 1956 and was the first to chair it. This wasn’t Knight’s first time in the receiving line, though. She was part of it in 1981 and 1982, the years that she chaired the ball, and again in 1983, when her daughter, Heather, was presented. Heather, now married and the mother of two, had been in Egypt with her husband, Sherif Sakr, and children; fortunately, they returned to Denver one day ahead of the blizzard that closed airports and highways throughout the state.
The gown that Nancy Petry selected for the occasion generated many compliments, as well it should have. Her late husband, Nick, had purchased it for her on one of their last trips to Paris. Petry is the grandmother of post-deb Hilary Harrington, and her receiving line escort was her son (and Hilary’s dad), Tim Harrington.
Others in the line were 2006 ball chair Ginny Freyer and her husband, John, and the Richard Bellmars. Lise Bellmar will chair this benefit for the Colorado Symphony Orchestra in 2007 and 2008.
Better buy now
Just because the 20th anniversary celebration for Asian Performing Arts of Colorado isn’t until July 7, 2007 don’t think for a moment that you have plenty of time to buy tickets. Denise Gliwa, who is chairing the event with Gayle Ray and Lily Shen, sends word that only 125 seats remain. An international audience is expected for the gala, which includes dinner and the world premiere of the opera “Poet Li Bai” with Denver-trained bass Hao Jiang Tian in the title role. Honorary chairmen are philanthropists Anna and John Sie; Denver Center for the Performing Arts Chairman Dan Ritchie; CH2M Hill chief executive Ralph Peterson; and Wells Fargo senior VP Pat Cortez. Additional information: Carla Kenny, 303-663-9326.
Things’ll be poppin’
Packets of microwave popcorn were the attention-getting accompaniment to a press release announcing that the Denver Art Museum’s Design After Dark party on Jan. 26 would pay tribute to eight of Hollywood’s most interesting films. Eight of the city’s best-known architectural and interior design firms will re-create scenes from the movies, and co-chair Jeffrey Hirschfeld (303-454-5425) predicts that “Things are going to be poppin.”‘
