Fete Accompli

Crossing the bridge from the mainland, looking down on Riverside Park, the white peaks of the huge meringue tent cut scallops against the night sky. Backstage in the theatre, fidgety ballerinas fingered layers of tulle in their tutus, preparing for performance. And outside, in balmy air warmed as if by sheer energy from the frigid night before, the preening continued as guests dressed to the max anticipated an evening that promised to be extraordinary. The work and will of a few ambitious balletomanes had placed Vero Beach squarely in the path of world-class talent: a performance by the Miami City Ballet. To celebrate,  they had planned an out-of-this-world evening as a fundraiser for Riverside Theatre. By all accounts it was a great success, having been planned more than a year in advance by a committee of 90.

First, the pre-performance reception offered time to socialize with cocktails in the dramatically lit Anne Morton Theatre, chiaroscuro cityscapes projected on the walls. Flashbulbs popped along the red carpet as 550 guests arrived.

Read the entire article in the September 2004 issue