Out & About
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On the heels of a splashy plan to redesign its 65th Street corridor, Lincoln Center is hoping to enhance to its new image by creating a Young Patrons Society for young professionals in their 20s and 30s.
At the group’s kick-off party last week, the second floor of Avery Fisher Hall was decorated as a Moroccan-style lounge, complete with floor pillows, a hip-hop DJ, and that essential centerpiece: a well-stocked bar.
“I’ve never seen so many young people here,” said Sabiya Amanat, wife of entrepreneur Omar Amanat, who is a member of the Young Patrons Society steering committee. As anyone familiar with arts organizations knows, drawing young audiences is a priority.
“Tonight, it’s really about the future,” said the boyish Blair Effron, a vice chairman at UBS and top Kerry fund-raiser who represented the Lincoln Center board at the event.
The next man at the podium was steering committee member Mukang Cho, a real estate lawyer at Kirkland Ellis. He was welcomed by a cheering squad chanting, “Mooook, Moooook, Moooook!”
Mr. Cho, just five years out of Harvard Law School, spoke with a sense of civic responsibility: “This is about what we can do as young people, to step up and contribute,” he said.
The only gray hair in the crowd was on the head of the president of Lincoln Center, Reynold Levy, who made one plea: “Everyone, please vote!” The steering committee of the group is comprised of hard-working, ambitious New Yorkers in law, finance, and entertainment – not necessarily members of the trust-fund set.
“One of the philosophical objectives of Lincoln Center and I think now with the Young Patrons Society is to dispel certain notions – that it’s exclusive and unaffordable and reserved for older people,” Mr. Cho said. “More than anything else we wanted to build a committee comprised of people who were genuinely interested in promoting the arts and putting in time,” he continued.
Zoe Alexander, for example, is a senior reporter at US Weekly. In addition to the Lincoln Center Young Patrons Society, Ms. Alexander is launching Divas Who Dine, a luncheon series for women in entertainment – the Divas meet today at Dos Caminos.
Most of the men come from the financial industry: Matthew Constantino is at Apollo Management, which sponsored the event; John Fascitelli is at Harvard Business School; Claude Shaw and Rohit Pursram are investment bankers; Steven Marcus is at a fund, as is Suleman Lunat.
The women are more eclectic: Amanda Tisch is a junior staffer at Harper’s Bazaar; Mali Gaw is a designer; Katy Brodsky is in law school.
Compared to other young patrons groups in the city, this one is affordable. Annual dues are $250 (the Frick Collection’s are $500; the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Apollo Circle, $1,000). Membership perks at Lincoln Center include special events and same-day ticket discounts to Avery Fisher and Alice Tully halls. The next event is reception after a performance of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” on February 24.
For those who can’t wait until next year for a young social event, the Met’s Apollo Circle will host its first fall ball, “Glamour on the Nile,” on Thursday. Chandler Bass, Stephanie Field Harris, Tinsley Mortimer, and Alejandro Santo Domingo are the chairwomen.