Are all arts fund-raising events alike? Hardly. Take, for instance, the dinners at three galas this week: prime rib for the Paul Taylor Dance Company, short ribs for the New York City Opera, and chicken for the Jewish Museum. And yet, there were some common themes…

1. Blondes Planned the Fun

There’s no doubt brunettes and blondes have an equal amount of fun at galas, as do women who wear glasses. But there are people to thank for arranging the fun: For City Opera’s gala, Caroline Cronson and Olivia Flatto, both board members of the company, and for the Jewish Museum’s Purim Ball, Phyllis Mack, who is the chairwoman of the museum’s Special Events Committee.

These women made wise decisions on the seating and flowers, the menu, and the band, not to mention the contents of the goody bags (a huggable stuffed-animal Shrek at the Purim Ball and a bottle of Calvin Klein perfume at City Opera’s fête).

2. Families Went Out Together

The proudest moment for the past chairman of the Paul Taylor Dance Company, Norton Belknap (a former Exxon executive), was not at the podium receiving an award for his more than 30 years of service, but on the dance floor, taking a few spins with his daughter, Paula Reynolds.

The Jewish Museum honored three families, the Crystals, the Lipmans, and the Offits, to show how the museum brings multiple generations together. Honorees with young children and grandchildren have especially enjoyed the William Steig exhibit.

3. Tuxedos Were Not Required

Usually the women are the ones to look at, and they didn’t disappoint at City Opera’s benefit, but men also garnered the spotlight by offering studies in contrasts. The general manager designate, Gerard Mortier, charged with instilling confidence in City Opera’s future, looked impeccable in his tuxedo, while Mark Morris dressed for his creative triumph of the night as director and choreographer of “King Arthur.”

The costume designer of the production, Isaac Mizrahi, covered his head with a blue bandana, while Peter Sellars was exuberant in purple.

4. Dancers Shined

Having wowed their audiences, especially their patrons, the dancers of the Paul Taylor Dance Company, below, right, and left, and the Mark Morris Dance Group, at right, were the stars of their evenings.

5. Royalty Was In

At City Opera, every guest felt royal when a crown turned up on dessert plates, a reference to the one that represented King Arthur onstage. Queen Esther was the one celebrated by the gigantic crown suspended from the ceiling of the Waldorf-Astoria’s ballroom at the Jewish Museum’s Purim Ball.

agordon@nysun.com