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AMNH 2010 Museum Gala |
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Sir Elton John performs in the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life.
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On Thursday, November 18, 2010, more than 650 guests attended the American Museum of Natural History’s Museum Gala. Jodie and John Eastman, Kathy and Tom Freston, and Alice and Lorne Michaels were the Gala chairs. Following cocktails in the Roosevelt Rotunda, guests enjoyed a gourmet dinner and a performance by Sir Elton John in the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life. Sir Elton John performed a selection of hits including “Your Song,” “Rocket Man,” “Benny and the Jets,” and “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” plus a song from his new album with Leon Russell, “You’re Never Too Old (To Hold Somebody).” He received seven standing ovations from the crowd at the Museum.
The event featured host Tom Brokaw and an auction of extraordinary prizes, overseen by auctioneer Jamie Niven of Sotheby’s. This year the winnings included an array of priceless items available only from the Museum including:
- a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to stay as the guests of Their Graces, the 11th Duke and Duchess of Marlborough, in their private apartments at Blenheim Palace, the birthplace of Winston Churchill, including private dinners with the Duke and Duchess, private tours of their magnificent home and extensive art collection, and educational lectures about the palace’s spectacular gardens;
- a fabulous 18k, pink gold Graffstar watch—with a transparent sapphire window on the back of the watch revealing the Graff Calibre 1 movement’s stunning decorative scheme with 18 jewels and a beautiful faceted pattern;
- tickets to a taping of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, enjoying a meet-and-greet with the funnyman himself;
- Breakfast at the Museum and front-row seats to New York’s one and only Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade;
- tickets to see Sir Paul McCartney perform at the legendary Apollo Theatre on December 11;
- dinner and stargazing with world-renowned astrophysicist and Frederick P. Rose Director of the Museum’s Hayden Planetarium Neil Tyson;
- an expedition for 10 children and three adults to view rarely-seen Museum treasures behind the scenes—including an opportunity to touch the Giant Squid, visit with a Museum scientist in his laboratory, hang out with live tortoises, touch live leeches, plus receive tickets to the Night at the Museum Sleepover, and much more;
- tickets to legendary Studio 8H for a live recording of Saturday Night Live, followed by dinner with the cast and crew at the after party;
- a personal tour by the anchor of NBC Nightly News, Brain Williams, through the newsroom and studio prior to air time, including an opportunity to be the first to see what will be broadcast to 10 million Americans that evening from the network’s headquarters inside the landmark 30 Rockefeller Plaza, while seated in the “back deck” behind the producers and director in the network control room.
Guests who joined Museum President Ellen V. Futter and the Gala Chairs included: the Museum’s Chairmen of the Board of Trustees Lewis W. Bernard, Jimmy Fallon, Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, Anne Hathaway, Steve Martin, Meg Ryan, Gayle King, Dr. Mehmet and Lisa Oz, John McEnroe and Patty Smyth, Steve Higgins, David Birnbaum, Seth Meyers, Kristen Wiig, Jane Krakowski, Jack McBrayer, Jennifer Westfield, Kenan Thompson, Bill Hader, Fred Armison, Andy Samberg, Jason Sudeikis, Abby Elliott, Nasim Pedrad, Bobby Moynihan, John Mulaney, Claire Bernard, Kip and Peggy Condron, Ann Ziff, Richard and Karen LeFrak, David and Julia Koch, Henri Barguirdjian, Jim and Philippa Burke, Peter and Susan Solomon, Alan and Susan Patricof, Marlene Hess and James Zirin, Retta Cox Taylor, Duchess Lily Spencer-Churchill, Virginia Hearst Randt and Dana Randt, Jes and Debora Staley, Kitty Kempner, Jacqueline LeFrak and Ed Kosinski, Allison and Roberto Mignone, Diana and Joe DiMenna, Ted and Keryn Mathas, Alan and Jill Rappaport, Adrian and Charlotte Benepe, Ralph Schlosstein and Jan Hartley, Tom and Meredith Brokaw, Barbara and Keith Gollust, Brian and Jane Williams, and Jamie and Lee Niven.
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Sir Elton John and Museum President Ellen V. Futter.
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Gala Chairs Lorne Michaels and Alice Michaels with Jimmy Fallon.
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Gala Chairs Jodie and John Eastman.
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Gala Chairs Kathy Freston and Tom Freston.
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Brian Williams and Jane Williams.
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Robert Zimmerman, Museum President Ellen V. Futter, Governor David Paterson, with Susan Patricof and Alan Patricof.
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Jill Bernard, Claire Bernard, Allison Mignone, and the Museum’s Chairman of the Board of Trustees Lewis W. Bernard.
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Lee Niven, Jamie Niven with Museum President Ellen V. Futter.
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Duchess Lily Spencer-Churchill and Peter Lyden.
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David Koch and Julia Koch.
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Jeff Richmond, Tina Fey, Steve Martin, Fred Armisen, and Ann Stringfield.
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Anne Hathaway.
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Jane Krakowski.
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John Hess, Susan Hess, Patty McEnroe, John McEnroe, Jimmy Fallon, Karyn Zucker, Jeff Zucker, and Seth Meyers.
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Ellen V. Futter and Meg Ryan.
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Jill Rappaport and Alan Rappaport.
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Jimmy Fallon and Alec Baldwin.
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Dr. Mehmet Oz and Lisa Oz.
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Ellen V. Futter and Barbara Gollust.
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Sylvester Miniter and Gillian Miniter.
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Taran Killam, Andy Samberg, and Seth Meyers.
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Karen LeFrak.
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Kristen Wiig.
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Lewis W. Bernard, Allison Mignone and Roberto Mignone.
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Kenan Thompson and Bill Hader.
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Bill Flanagan and Susan Flanagan.
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Nate Kempner, Kitty Kempner, Trevor Kempner.
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Jay Pharoah, Paul Brittain, Kenan Thompson, Bobby Moynihan.
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Vanessa Bayer, Abby Elliot, and Nassim Pedrad.
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Photos:
Image 1, 3,4,6,12, 18,19,23,27-29: © AMNH/R. Mickens.
Image 2,5,7-11,13-17,20-22,24-26: © AMNH/D. Finnin |
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