La Magia de la Danza Opening Night Party

BAM welcomed Ballet Nacional de Cuba with open arms Wednesday night at the Opening Night Party for La Magia de la Danza. BAM members joined the company in BAM's Lepercq Space to celebrate the arrival of our Cuban friends. Read on for more highlights!

Following an enthralling performance featuring scenes from seven classical works - choreographed by legendary General Director Alicia Alonso, guests nibbled on vegetable mofongo and Cuban sandwich bites while sipping the ever popular Cuba Libre.

La Magia de la Danza marks the final mainstage performance of the 2011 BAM Spring Season and last dance piece of the citywide festival, Si Cuba. It has been a blast hosting all of our Cuban visitors and experiencing the art and culture of such a dynamic country.

Check back in later this week for scenes from the BAMcinemaFest Opening Night Party. If you haven't gotten your tickets yet, be sure to do so now. A ticket to the movie gets you into the party!

Principal Dancer, Viengsay Valdez, with Ballet Nacional de Cuba Tour Organizer, Jane Hermann

Viengsay Valdez with guests

BAM members enjoying a glass of wine

BAM Lepercq Space

Viengsay Valdez giving remarks

BAM Member with BAM bag

The BAM Noche Cubana Gala - Highlights

Guests taking to the dance floor during Cutumba's performance

Outisde it may have been cold and rainy on Tuesday, but inside BAM things got hot and sun-soaked for the BAM Noche Cubana Gala!  View this full article for highlights and images from the event...


The Arturo O'Farrill Ensemble performing at the BAM Noche Cubana Gala.  The motorcycle in the background is part of a special edition of BAMart, curated with the Magnan Metz Gallery and featuring contemporary Cuban artists.

 This past Tuesday, BAM celebrated the vibrant artistic spirit of Cuba with a gala that embraced the flavors and rhythms of the Cuban culture.  We invited two incredible groups of artists to perform at the event, both representing distinctive yet equally spectacular and iconic sets of the Cuban music scene - the Arturo O'Farrill Ensemble led by Grammy Award winning jazz pianist Arturo O'Farrill, and Ballet Folklorico Cutumba performing Afro-Cuban-Franco-Haitian folkloric and popular music and song.

The gala was chaired by BAM Board Trustees Therese M. Esperdy and Alberto Sanchez (Mr. Sanchez representing Banco Santander, S.A.), and guests included representatives and colleagues from many of the partners and sponsors of the current Si Cuba! Festival. 

Guests were invited to kick-off the night with a cocktail hour and mojitos aplenty, followed by a Cuban-inspired dinner by restaurateur Great Performances.  Our fabulous decor sponsor, Fleurs Bella, turned our Lepercq Space into a warm tropical oasis and the perfect setting for the extraordinary performances.  The dance floor was packed by the time Cutumba took the stage, and following their set DJ Idlemind kept the party going well into the night.

Don't miss Cutumba when they next perform at BAM for DanceAfrica 2011! 

Therese Esperdy, one of the gala chairs, with a guest during cocktails.



BAM President Karen Brooks Hopkins dancing with Fernando Saez of the Ludwig Foundation.



Baba Chuck Davis introducing Cutumba.





All photos by Elena Olivo.

Are You Ready to Rumba??

A week from today BAM invites you to celebrate the rhythms and flavors of Cuba at the BAM Noche Cubana Gala!  This event features special musical performances: The Arturo O'Farrill Ensemble and Ballet Folklorico Cutumba, two modern icons of the Cuban music scene.  Dancing shoes recommended!

Tickets are still available for purchase, starting at $100 for the dessert party only and $1,000 for the full gala evening.  Click here for details, or contact BAM Patron Services by phone at 718.636.4182 or by email to RSVP...

King Lear Opening Night Party



Derek Jacobi (center) with guests at the Opening Night Party.

Wednesday night at the King Lear Opening Night Party at the Harvey Theater, BAM members toasted the company from Donmar Warehouse for an outstanding performance and an already sold-out run! Sir Derek Jacobi and the cast mingled with the crowd in the Campbell Lobby and celebrated long into the night. Click the link below to read on and check out pictures from the evening's festivities...
BAM Producer Council members and above celebrated Donmar Warehouse and their triumphant sold-out* return to the Harvey Theater stage Wednesday night, enjoying delicious bites from caterer Great Performances and beverages from hometown vendors Brooklyn Gin and Brooklyn Brewery.  New Donmar Warehouse Executive Producer Nick Giles joined BAM President Karen Hopkins and BAM Executive Producer Joe Melillo for remarks at the party and the guests had a terrific time throughout the evening.  

Brooklyn Gin provided another fantastic cocktail for the party, this time created by Adam Schuman at Fatty Cue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.  Possessing an inviting yellow hue and named after one of protagonist Lear's not so flattering characteristics, the "Fool's Gold" cocktail was the evening's beverage of choice.  Guests also enjoyed Brooklyn Brewery pilsner and event decor from the always exquisite Fleurs Bella.

It was a fabulous way to close what has been a fantastic Spring Theater Season here at BAM!

Tickets to King Lear are currently unavailable to the general public due to popular demand.*

A limited number of front orchestra seats are available to Friends of BAM at the Benefactor level ($1000) and above for select performances. To become a Benefactor, call Patron Services at 718.636.4182.

*A limited number of partial view seats are available by calling BAM Ticket Services at 718.636.4100


Diane Max, wife of the BAM Board Vice Chairnan Adam Max and guests at the King Lear Opening Night Party

Takis and Rina Anoussis chatting with Sir Derek Jacobi

Party goers enjoying the "Fool's Gold" cocktial from Spring Theater Gin Sponsor, Brooklyn Gin



Ashley Zhanghaza, Ron Cook, and Pippa Bennett-Warner from the King Lear cast



Cast member Stephano Theodoli-Braschi and friends

Pippa Bennett-Warner with Stephanie Dittmer and Executive Producer Nick Giles of Donmar Warehouse



Brooklyn Gin provided the "Fool's Gold" cocktail, a gin and tonic cocktail with Cocchi Americano fashioned by Adam Schuman at Fatty Cue in Brooklyn.



Macbeth Opening Night Party

Cheek by Jowl company posing with BAM employees Mary Reilly and Stacey Dinner

The Campbell Lobby of the BAM Harvey Theater was dressed to impress Tuesday night, as BAM members celebrated the opening night performance, and US premiere, of Cheek by Jowl's Macbeth. With the help of our generous sponsors and a very enthusiastic, well-dressed, groups of actors, the party proved to be quite a hit! - read on for more details!



Benefactor and Producers Council members joined the company of Cheek by Jowl to ring in the 2 week run of Macbeth here at BAM. With a relationship of nearly 20 years, it was a pleasure, as always, to welcome our friends across the pond. Cheek by Jowl first came to BAM in 1994 with the production of As You Like It and have continued to entertain the Brooklyn audience throughout the years.

Guests were served a speciality Brooklyn Gin cocktail, "Three Witches", created by mixologist Stephanie Schneider from Huckleberry Bar. The combination of smoke and citrus made for an excellent and creative beverage that proved to be a huge hit among the crowd. We can't wait to see what Brooklyn Gin comes up with for our King Lear opening night party!

As always, the very generous and always tasty, Brooklyn Brewery supplied us with endless amounts of beer while Fleurs Bella beautified the Campbell Lobby with the creative and stunning eye they're known for.

Although there is limited availability for the remainder of this run, call 718.636.4100 for inquiries. This performance of Macbeth is not to be missed!

Cheek by Jowl Artistic Director's Nick Ormerod and Declan Donnellan pose with 

BAM Executive Producer Joseph V. Melillo

Producers Council members John & Karin Strasswimmer both holding "Three Sisters" cocktails

Bernadette Anderson from the May and Samuel Rudin Family Foundation and her daughter

 Friend of BAM Anne Vinnicombe and Chairman's Circle member Elaine Bernstein

Anne Vinnicombe chats with the actress playing Lady Macbeth, Anastasia Hille

Event Decor by Fleurs Bella

All Photos by Elena Olivo.

More from the BAM Theater Gala

Hugh Jackman, Pat Schoenfeld, and Baz Luhrmann arriving at the BAM Opera House lobby (© 2011 Etienne Frossard)

The March 10^th BAM Theater Gala was a resounding success and the fabulous feedback keeps coming! More photos have also arrived – view this full article for additional hightlights from the event, our guests, and press...

At the BAM Theater Gala on March 10th, many of BAM's most distinguished patrons annd supporters came out to Brooklyn to celebrate Geoffrey Rush and Belvoir's sold-out run of The Diary of a Madman.

Following a grand Russian Banquet Dinner on the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House stage and a stiring performance of The Diary of a Madman, gala guests made their way to the post-show Samovars and Sweets Dessert Party in the BAM Lepercq Space to toast Geoffrey Rush and Australia's Belvoir Theater company. The star-studded evening garnered great coverage from many publications including Variety, Wall Street Journal, and New York Social Diary

Check out some of the highlights below!

BAM Vice Chairman Adam Max and wife Diane arriving to cocktails and dinner (© 2011 Elena Olivo)

Event decor specialist Fleurs Bella decked out the Opera House stage for over 500 guests as they enjoyed an exciting menu prepared by caterer Great Performances (© 2011 Elena Olivo)

Liz Giamatti, Gala Chair Amy W. Schulman and guests at dinner (© 2011 Elena Olivo)

BAM Vice Chairman Bill Campbell (left) with guest and BAM member Rina Anoussi (© 2011 Elena Olivo)

After the performance guests made their way to the BAM Lepercq Space for the Samovars & Sweets Dessert Party where they enjoyed cocktails and mingled with the cast  (© 2011 Elena Olivo)

Director Neil Armfield and Bank of America New York City Market President Jeffery H. Barker (© 2011 Elena Olivo)

BAM members Carol Hickey, Sheena Young, Dionne Gordon & Lorie Blosser (© 2011 Elena Olivo)

Friends of BAM and celebrity DJ duo AndrewAndrew with their mobile iPad docks at the post-show dessert party (© 2011 Elena Olivo)

Australia's Robert Oatley Vineyards sponsored the entire evening with chardonnay and shiraz from Mudgee, Australia(© 2011 Elena Olivo)

Brooklyn's own Brooklyn Gin featured two fantastic cocktails for guests, inspired by the The Diary of a Madman: the "Mad Melon" and "Poprischin's Candle" (© 2011 Elena Olivo)

Coopers Brewery from Australia provided an array of their award winning beer for the evening (© 2011 Elena Olivo)

Highlights from the BAM Theater Gala



Geoffrey Rush with BAM Executive Producer Joseph V. Melillo and BAM President Karen Brooks Hopkins, arriving at the Samovars & Sweets Dessert Party

Last night's BAM Theater Gala celebrated our fabulous 2011 Theater Season, particularly The Diary of a Madman, and the gala definitely matched the on-stage performances in taking our audience's breath away. Between the spectacular dinner on the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House Stage, the tremendous Belvoir company, and the wonderful guests in attendance, it was quite an unforgettable night of festivities - more details in the full article...\



Peter Sarsgaard and Maggie Gyllenhaal arriving at the BAM Harvey Theater



The Russian Banquet Dinner kicked off the gala night, followed by a tremendous performance of The Diary of a Madman, and a Samovars & Sweets Dessert Party.  The dinner was attended by 500 guests on the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House stage - Hugh Jackman, David Hyde Pierce, Baz Luhrmann,, NYC Cultural Commissioner Kate Levin, Jeffrey Barker, Merryl Tisch, Pat Schoenfield, and director Neil Armfield, to name a few.  More coverage on the dinner by Bloomberg here!



We'll be publishing more highlights of the BAM Theater Gala in the coming days, but in the meantime here are some images taken throughout the night of the festivities including some of the other fabulous guests who attended!  And selected links to additional press coverage: The New York Times Nocturnalist, Just Jared, Glamour.com, UsMagazine.com, People.com, Guest of a Guest,





Mario Batali



Merryl Tisch and guest at the Russian Banquet Dinner




Baz Luhrmann at the Samovars & Sweets Dessert Party



Geoffrey Rush speaking at the Samovars & Sweets Dessert Party after his sold-out performance in The Diary of a Madman



Blake Lively



Claire Danes and Hugh Dancy

The Russian Banquet Dinner on the stage of the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House decked out by Fleurs Bella.


Photos by Elena Olivo & Etienne Frossard.