Britannia Comes to Brooklyn

I spent this evening at Pier 12 in Brooklyn, aboard the luxurious Queen Mary 2. It was great to be back on the mighty ship, the largest ocean liner in the world. (I had my first opportunity to see the vessel when she dropped anchor in New York on her maiden voyage, in 2004.) Tonight, however, I was a guest at a very special fundraiser to benefit Brooklyn Academy of Music and New York City Opera. This was the sort of party that should have no fears of getting lost in the shuffle of galas that grace places such as the Waldorf Astoria or Capitale on any given Manhattan weeknight. No, this was not going to be a hum-drum evening with endless speeches and a heart-string video presentation. Tonight was about opulence and fun. (For two good causes, of course.) After cocktails on deck, guests moved indoors to the Royal Court Theatre, for a special performance by legendary Broadway actress Patti LuPone. When I first learned the name of her routine, "Lady with the Torch," I presumed we were in for a pre-Memorial Day salute to nearby Miss Liberty. If only. LuPone's "torch" turned out to be more of a flame-thrower, a weapon aimed squarely (if playfully) at the unsuspecting men in the audience. I've got great admiration for Ms. LuPone. She has a phenomenal voice, one like none other on Broadway. However, even for a fan, one hour of "spurned woman" ballads began to get tired after a while. It was also a bit of a downer on an otherwise celebratory night. Dinner in the Britannia dining room (straight out of a scene from Titanic) was all about people watching and less about the food, but highlights included foie gras and duck terrine and fillet of sole with shrimp-mousse soufflé. After the meal concluded, guests headed to the ship's planetarium (the only one at sea) for a show called "Cosmic Collisions." Still others boogied on down to the G32 discoteque or the Queens Room, where the Peter Duchin Orchestra played into the wee hours. All in all, a night to remember. For once, I was sad to return to Manhattan.

Click To Play %%showphotos [setid=72157602749973035]%%