“What do you get the man who has everything?” asked Reggie Van Lee at the Washington Performing Arts Society Gala on Saturday night, as he prepared to honor Wynton Marsalis.
The jazz legend and his Jazz at Lincoln Center orchestra played gratis at the gala, so Van Lee, who sits on the organization’s Board of Directors, wanted to show his appreciation. And did so. With a Nintendo Wii for Marsalis and his band. Now perhaps they can bone up on those Aerosmith tunes on “Rock Band.”
Later, Van Lee would offer up something else. As the event’s live auction concluded, he put up for bid a surprise item: a dinner party on the balcony of his Manhattan apartment, overlooking the East River, with Marsalis in attendance. The hook: the balcony was used as the set for a memorable episode of “Sex and the City,” in which the girls imbibe in marijuana. That was good enough to bring in $12,000 for the organization.
But that wasn’t the evening’s most expensive item. That was a private concert with renowned Israeli violinist Gil Shaham. To sweeten the pot, Mexican Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan offered to include dinner for 20 at his embassy. That prompted Swiss Ambassador Urs Ziswiler to offer dinner for 40 at his embassy. The final price tag: $45,000.
What recession?
