Salon Sets
A new venture for the New Orleans Museum of Art is the Salon Supper Club presented by First Horizon Bank. The inaugural series of food-and-art-focused events that are inspired by works on view in the museum allows guests to explore the featured exhibitions and installations while celebrating the “ability of art to connect us with friends, family, and new acquaintances.”
The first NOMA Salon Supper Club presented by First Horizon Bank took place during three hours on a Thursday night in May in celebration of French visual artist Nicolas Floc’h’s exhibition of striking photos of, and in, the Mississippi River titled “Fleuves-Océan: Mississippi Watershed.” The exhibition is due to close Feb. 22, 2026. Mary Beth Benjamin, Katherine Duncan and Ileana Feoli co-chaired the Salon, which limelighted guest chef 22-year-old E.J. Lagasse, “who has taken the reins at his father’s eponymous restaurant, Emeril’s.” Guests engaged in a progressive dining experience with cocktails in different venues around the museum.
The upcoming Fall Salon Supper Club presented by First Horizon Bank will feature guest chef Alfredo Nogueira and “A Feast for the Senses, Una Fiesta para los sentidos.” It will occur on Friday, Oct. 3, and will celebrate NOMA’s re-installation of American Art across South, Central, and North America from the Pre-Columbian Era to the present day. Attendees will relish an elegant seated dinner with wine and cocktails in NOMA’s Great Hall. The chairing forces will be Millie Davis Kohn, Juan and Martine Linares, and a mother-daughter duo in Pam Ryan and Meaghan Ryan Bonavita.
Two top names at the museum are those of Susan M. Taylor, The Montine McDaniel Freeman Director, and Taylor S. Pospisil, NOMA Volunteer Committee Chair.
The prandial punctuation between the May and October Salons was the recent one, in July, chaired by Terrah and Willie Green, Elizabeth and James Williams, Ariel Wilson-Harris and L. Kasimu Harris, and Jenny and Robb Vorhoff. It celebrated the exhibition “New African Masquerades: Artistic Innovations and Collaborations,” which was highly praised, but has since closed. It is traveling to other museums. The guest chef for that Salon was Seringe Mbaye, owner and chef of Dakar NOLA, who was honored with the prestigious 2024 James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant. In a Time magazine “100 Outstanding” list of 2024, and under the Innovators category, James Beard-winning chef and author Kwame Onwuachi began his profile on Mbaye, saying “Every few generations a chef emerges who not only embodies the best in our profession but…(who) introduces new ideals and unapologetically represents their culture.” Dakar and Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group collaborated for the exhibition-inspired menu at the July Salon Supper Club.
During the course of the evening, an affable Mbaye mingled with the many guests, dozens of whom related their fine experiences at his renowned restaurant on Magazine Street. Others within the July Salon gathering were a host of representatives from Presenting Sponsor First Horizon Bank and additional donors, a number of whom were present. Listed in the Gold category was Walda Besthoff, and in the Silver, Elizabeth Boh and Peggy and Timber Floyd. More individuals as stated donors were Shaun and Foster Duncan, Mrs. Robert H. Boh, Eileen and Joey Devall, Phyllis M. Taylor, above Elizabeth and James Williams, R.P. Bartee, Caroline and Murray Calhoun, Pam Davis Friedler, Ann Duffy and John Skinner, Julie and Ted George, Millie and Robert Kohn, Kristen and Paul Leonard, Ellen Manshell, Dr. Blanca Rosa Maldonado, Renee and Paul Masinter, Cammie and Charles Mayer, Eduardo E. Rodriguez, Mimi and Claude Schlesinger, Susu and Andrew Stall, Suzanne and Robert Thomas, and Lele and Brent Wood.
Live musical entertainment, the opportunity to savor a signature dish from chef Mbaye, and the support of NOMA and this inaugural series all blended as the party pack made their presence roundly felt at “A Taste of West Africa and New Orleans.” Salon rated a salute!
Wild Thyme
The New Orleans Shakespeare Festival at Tulane closed the summer season with a rollicking, magical presentation of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by William Shakespeare in the Lupin Theatre. The show will be remounted in January 2026 in Dixon Hall for school children and will be open to the general public for one evening performance. Graham Burk, the Festival’s interim artistic director, rated kudos as the director. More praise tapped the artistic staff and cast, which included, among others, the two sets of young lovers as played by Sarah-Grace Donnelly, Edward Montoya, Brandon Sutton and Jane Cooper, and Celeste Cahn (Quince), Ian Hoch (Bottom), Burton Tedesco and Zarah Hukule ‘A Spalding (Oberon and Titania), Robinson J. Cyprian (Flute) and James Bartelle (Puck), whose artwork, “Fairest Creatures,” bedecked the walls.
An opening-night reception added to the staged fun as playgoers socialized during intermission and post-show, along with the staff and actors. Extending their compliments as they raised glasses of cheer and enjoyed the lavish Black Pearl Catering were Festival advisory board chair Cassie Worley, vice chair Kathryn Scurlock, secretary Marie Cahn and James “Jimmy,” the Silas Coopers, Keith Marshall, Marcia Reck, Kathleen DeJean, Caroline and Arthur Nead, Susan Holman, Peggy Scott Laborde and Errol Laborde, Beth Chauvin, sisters Sally Reeves and Susie Hoskins, Julie Breitmeyer, Robert E. Young, Keith Marshall, and Marigny Opera House owners, Scott King and Dave Hurlbert, who quoted the line from the play, “I know a bank where the wild thyme blows.”
The following week, another round of theatergoers packed the premises and witnessed, as the plot was broken down, “Athens in Disarray,” “Mischief in Fairyland,” “Titania Falls for an Ass,” and, after the spells were broken, “Weddings & a Play.” Board member Julian Wheatley and spouse Margie were present with three generations of their family, totaling about 16, and guests Will Foster and his mother, Candy. In the closing lines of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Puck addressed the audience with “So, good night unto you all.” He also asked for a show of hands (“if we be friends”), and got the requested ovation.
Keeping ‘Company’
In celebration of its 58th season, Summer Lyric Theatre at Tulane University went for the high C’s: “A Chorus Line,” “Company,” and “Carousel” as the recent productions. After the final performance of Stephen Sondheim’s “Company,” Dr. Marc Behar, an executive committee member of the 2025 Steering Committee, and Jeff Sbisa entertained the cast and crew at their stunning Garden District home. And pool. Nothing like a dip!
Ken Goode and Don Paul Landry are the Steering Committee’s co-chairs. In addition to Mark Behar, the executive committee includes Drs. Anand and Maya Irimpen, Jeff Meckstroth and Sarah Sharp Meckstroth, and Barbara and Dr. Mark Workman. Twenty-two board members complete the roster.
“Company’”s artistic director was C. Leonard Raybon; the director was Leslie Castay, whose first production, as an actress, with SLT was in 1980; Jose C. Simbulan was the conductor and musical director; and Bogdan Mynka starred as Robert “Bobby.” whose single status at age 35 causes a flutter among his friends. Richard “Rich” Arnold led off the cast alphabetically and enacted the role of Larry, the younger, compliant husband to Wendy Miklovic’s character, Joanne, who sings the snarky song, “The Ladies Who Lunch.”
The hosts covered the dining room table with a lace tablecloth on which they placed floral arrangements of lilies, yellow roses and baby’s breath. Favorite buffet dishes — all qualified! —, were cranberry meat balls and pasta Alfredo with mushrooms. These were enjoyed by Denver County Court Judge Clarisse Gonzales, Doug Estes, Golan Moskowitz and Trey Pratt, and cast members Kayla Ceaser, Alix Paige Loomis with spouse Dodd, Joseph Mace with Daniel Rigamer, Meredith Long Dieth with Ford Dieth, and both Leslie and Keith Claverie. All enjoyed keeping “Company.”
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.nola.com ’
