HughE Dillon: Young Friends’ Monster Ball

The weather outside was frightening, but so were the people inside Del Frisco’s last night as the Young Friends of the Academy of Music held the Monster’s Ball to benefit the Academy’s 155th Anniversary Ball, which will be held on Saturday, January 28, 2012. Co-chairs for the anniversary are Joanna McNeil Lewis and John R. Saler. The Philadelphia Orchestra will perform along with Yo-Yo Ma and Diana Krall.
 

 
Below: Dashing Clark Kent is Samuel M.V. Hamilton III and Alice in Wonderland no more, Teresa C. Nino. The two are the Young Friends co-chairs for the anniversary events.
 

 
Below: Missy Ambrosini and Jen Bisicchia look fabulous in their outfits. They tell me that this was a dress rehearsal, as they will be wearing these costumes to work at Giovanni & Pileggi Salon today.
 

 
Below: Heather Heo (left) looks a wee bit different than she did when I saw her at a Zarwin Baum cocktail party just an hour before, and there’s a good chance Erin Elmore has never worn that outfit to meet her clients at her law office, but they both look fantastic. It’s great they got into the costume spirit as did Leeza Garber and Christie Honigman, of the Honigman Group.
 

 
Below: Manny Romano and Adrian Hardy, both with LotisMedia, and Sarah Cossa. Can you guess what Adiran is? I couldn’t, but I did think he looked appropriately interesting for Halloween. He spun his DJ magic for the crowd and kept everyone entertained.
 

 
New this year for the Anniversary Ball: After the concert, the party will be held throughout the Academy of Music (instead of Hyatt at the Bellevue.) Guests will enjoy champagne, cocktails and dessert.
 

 
Below: Ashley Mash, Sarah Smith and Liz Barton, assistant director of the Academy of Music Restoration Fund. One of the goals of the Young Friends group is to bring the Orchestra and the Academy Ball to the attention of a younger audience. These days with cuts to arts and culture in the schools, and more focus on test scores, classical music appreciation is down, so I think it’s nice that organizations recognize this and have groups like Young Friends to introduce an audience to an art they might not have normally been familiar with.
 

 
Below: Mitch Kerr and Danny Cevallos in their Walking Dead characters. Another costume I didn’t get, because as Sam Hamilton explained to them, I don’t have time to watch TV. (But if it’s a horror show, I’ll try and fit it in now.)
 

 
Below: Thomas Finnegan, R2L manager, and Lex Wainwright. Lex just finished the Susan G. Komen three-day race for the cure, and says it was great.
 

 
Below: This is one Red Riding Hood that’s not upset to be pawed by the Big Bad Wolf, as Katie Seiverling and Mike Klose are in a serious relationship that’s going places.
 

 
Below: There’s always that one person at a costume party who just doesn’t get with the game; here are four folks who keep us informed but must have misplaced the memo about the costume party: Marshall Harris, sports anchor/reporter at Comcast SportsNet, John DiCarlo, Temple University’s student media program director, Todd Zolecki,, Phillies beat writer for MLB.com, and CBS3 reporter Jericka Duncan.
 

 
Below: Dani Gonzalez (Clockwork Orange) with squeeze Caitlin Joyce, Sam Hamilton, Camilla Herrera and Bruno Giraldo. I look forward to shooting you all in your white ties and gowns on January 28, 2012 at the Academy Ball. Tickets on sale now.