And they can act! Katie Holmes and Hilary Duff showed up for a special screening of Ms. Holmes’s new film, “First Daughter,” which comes on the heels of the convention performance by current first daughters Jenna and Barbara Bush.

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At the Animal Medical Center’s Top Dog gala last night at the Waldorf, philanthropist Richard Fisher told a story about his dog’s reaction to an oil painting.

A designer brought a picture of a hunting dog with a rabbit in his mouth, which Mr. Fisher rejected calling it, “a terrible, $19,000 painting.” But it lingered in his study, leaning against a bookshelf on the floor.

One day, he found that his dog Max had eaten the rabbit out of the canvas.

Mr. Fisher called his insurance company. “You’ve heard the dog ate my homework, but have you ever heard, ‘the dog ate my painting?'”

Within 48 hours, he had a check. Then Max fell ill. Mr. Fisher brought him to the Animal Medical Center, where he was diagnosed with lead poisoning from the paint. A couple months later, he heard from the president of the insurance company, who thought the story would make a great ad. The president asked if Mr. Fisher still had the painting. He did not, but he did have the veterinarian bill. Those at the gala included chairmen Stephen and Wendy Lash; junior chairmen Josh and Shoshanna Gruss; Oscar and Annette de la Renta; Henry and Nancy Kissinger; Ken and Elaine Langone; and Iris Love, who said she’d be happy to wear a tag around her neck with instructions to send her to the Animal Medical Center if she falls ill.

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The opening night of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center marked the debut of its new artistic directors, the husband-and-wife team of David Finckel and Wu Han. “This is a big addition for us,” said Mr. Finckel, who then ran off some of their other musical ventures: They perform together (she plays piano, he the cello); they run the Music@Menlofestival, and they created the recording label Artist Led. As for their work at Lincoln Center: “The most important thing is curating this vast and wonderful literature of chamber music in a sensible way,” he said. The society hosted a cocktail party before the program of Ravel, Berlioz, Wagner, and Stravinsky. Gathered at Alice Tully Hall were the society’s chairman, Peter Frelinghuysen, and donors such as Christina Assael and Harriette and Noel Levine. This week has been a triple-hitter for Lincoln Center’s President Reynold Levy and wife Elizabeth Cooke. They attended the Metropolitan Opera’s opening on Monday and the Philharmonic’s opening on Tuesday, as well as the Chamber Music opening.