Austin360 blogs > Out & About > Archives > 2010 > May > 16 > Entry
Paramount Gala on Congress Avenue
The open secret to the Paramount’s lavish success at the gala game: Open Bar. For six hours. You need look no further for the formula to explain this year’s $300,000 take during the live auction alone, and full sheets of bids during the silent auction.
Stacey Fellers, David Lopez and Danelle Awtrey
The gala that benefits the beloved Paramount and mothballed State theaters also saluted the 10th anniversary of the Intercontinental Stephen F. Austin Hotel on Saturday. The hotel itself actually goes back to 1924. The most recent renovation returned it to luxury status.
Dwayne Mann and Janna Paulson
The hotel provided the robust food — blue tamales, barbecue, etc. — for dinner, which started a bit after 9 p.m. The potent potables came from several sources, primarily John Paul DeJoria’s Patron label.
Andrew Greenwall and Jeffrey McKnight
And there were John and Eloise DeJoria (happy birthday!) near the front of house bidding on just about everything during the live auction.
Nick Barbieri and Elana Farley
I must admit Executive Director Ken Stein does an admirable job with this overlong exercise. He keeps the auction fast and fun. He often convinces the gift donors to double up, meaning two bidders win the trip or the concert or whatever, while the theater receives twice as much money.
Daniel Zmud and Paige Deegan
The chief musical entertainment of the event was Delbert McClinton and his deliciously bluesy band. An instant and prolonged feel-good.
Daniel Karayan and Barbara Formilchelli
Other acts, including the Gourds and Skyrocket, ensured there was never a music-free moment inside or outside, where the gala’s famed tent stretched for two blocks.
Marianne and Tom Inman
For the first time ever, I stayed the course, or at least five hours of the Paramount party marathon. That meant a dozen or so enlightening conversations, some at the dinner table, others in the lobby of the Paramount, and even a few near the dance floor, where a good deal of polite social commentary took place.
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