Beaux Arts Society Ball Coronates Annual BAS Royalty

The 109th Beaux Arts Society Ball was held in the Oak Room of Terrace on the Park at Flushing Meadows, a location the Society's members have previously enjoyed for the Ball. The evening was introduced by Society President, Dr. Thomas Stevens.

After catered hors d'ouvres and an abundant buffet, the high point of the evening was the annual coronation of the Beaux Arts Royalty, which this year proved to be an extremely distinguished group of literary and stage celebrities. King of the Ball was Howard Bloom, former public relations director of ABC Records and of Gulf and Western, and later a publicist for musical luminaries Prince, Michael Jackson, and Lionel Richie among others. Now a writer, drawing on his pre-publicity career in the sciences, he is the author of The Lucifer Principle, Global Brain, and The Genius of the Beast, among other works. Similarly, the newly coronated Queen is Dr. Alma Bond, a Freudian analyst in the city turned author. Many of Bond's novels involve analysis of famous women, including her recent Hillary Clinton: On the Couch, following Marilyn Monroe: On the Couch, The Autobiography of Maria Callas,and Who Killed Virginia Woolf?

Ball Prince was actor and author Sean Bennett, and Ball Princess was actress/musician Sarah Rice, the first Jenny in Sondheim's SWEENEY TODD, who also performs opera and plays the theremin; Ms. Rice also performed on the theremin during the entertainment throughout the evening.

Entertainment was provided by a wide variety of talent including some of the Society's Distinguished Artists. Cabaret performer Diana Templeton opened the evening's entertainment with her pairing of "Married" from FINIAN'S RAINBOW and "Sadie" from FUNNY GIRL.

Sarah Rice, on theremin, sang and performed a musical solo to "Music of the Night" from PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, among other songs performed entirely upon theremin. Tim Moss, cabaret artist and star of ARTISTS EXPOSED sang several numbers including "He Touched Me" and "Don't Rain on My Parade," while cabaret artist, dancer, and Distinguished Artist Judi Mark performed "Shall We Dance" and "If They Could See Me Now," as well as other numbers including a well-received "Chiquita Banana Song".

Also appearing were the young Misses Olivia and Remy Bond, granddaughters of Queen Alma Bond, who are performers in their own right, who performed selections from the musical ANNIE.

The Society's annual Costume Contest was also held. This year's theme was Broadway Musicals. Musicals represented included MISS SAIGON, PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, and HAIRSPRAY; the winner was BAS member George Strum, who appeared as the Phantom. The Society;'s next event will be an informal holiday dinner at Portofino on December 20. Terrace on the Park has already been selected as the location for the 110th Beaux Arts Society Ball.