BC/EFA’s 2nd annual Cole Porter-Like Salon Raises $30,000!

By Bobby McGuire

Salon – (sa·lon) noun
1: an elegant apartment or living room (as in a fashionable home) 2: a fashionable assemblage of notables held by custom at the home of a prominent person
It was a De-Lovely night on October 29, at the extraordinary Central Park South residence of Ron Pobuda at the second annual “Very Cole Porter-Like Salon.”  Thanks to a top notch guest list of supporters and stars, this one-of-a-kind ultimate intimate evening of cocktails, conversation and song raised over $30,000 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
Taking its inspiration in part from the highly successful Classical Action House Concerts, “Salon”  was reminiscent of the days of Cole Porter when being invited to an Elsa Maxwell party meant hobnobbing with the newest, brightest and best.  On hand to mix, mingle, dish and perform were: Tony® nominee Christopher Sieber (Spamalot), comedienne Joy Behar(ABC’s The View)TV and Broadway Legend Lucie Arnaz, Emmy® nominated actress and singer Bobbie Eakes (ABC’s All My Children), Norm Lewis (Disney’s The Little Mermaid), Jose Llana (Spelling Bee), rising opera and jazz starN’Kenge,Broadway’s favorite piano man and raconteur Seth Rudetsky (The Ritz), Broadway and Daytime star Kevin Spirtas (Days of Our Lives, The Boy from Oz) and Emmy® and Grammy® nominated musical director and personality Paul Shaffer (Late Show with David Letterman).

Guests were also treated to the first public performance by The Three Graces, Decca/Universal’s new opera/pop/Broadway recording group featuring Joy Kabanuck (Baz Luhrmann’s La Boheme), Kelly Levesque (Andrea Bocelli US tour), and Sara Gettelfinger (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels).

Among the many in attendance were League of American Theaters and Producers executive director Charlotte St. Martin,Broadway Producer Chase Mishkin, BC/EFA donors Gary Cooper, Elora DeCarlo, Tim and Judy Dove, “Cowboy” Randy Jones (The Village People),designer Malan Breton, and actor David Steen.

What a swell party it was!  Special thanks again to Ron Pobuda for making this event possible for a second year.  You’re the tops!