On Thursday night, Exploring the Arts hosted its first Family Dinner fundraiser, a tribute to founder Tony Bennett’s legacy and fundraiser for the organization that provides arts education to underserved schools in New York.
The evening, hosted at the Angel Orensanz Foundation on the Lower East Side, kicked off with a lively performance by bandleader and trumpeter Brian Newman as guests congregated on the venue’s balcony level for cocktail hour. Photographs of musical icons, many of them Bennett collaborators, lined the walls as part of a silent auction to benefit ETA programming.
Guests included Robert De Niro, Martin Scorsese, Marisa Tomei, Jeremy O. Harris, Sophia Lillis, Janicza Bravo and more, who heeded the dress code “dress to express” to varying degrees.
Jillian Hervey, of musical duo Lion Babe, donned a short silver sequin minidress and feathery shrug. “Our job is to turn the party up after the whole gala,” Hervey said during cocktail hour. She and partner Lucas Goodman were tapped to perform at the offsite after party by Bennett’s granddaughter Kelsey Bennett.
”I love jazz; I love Tony’s voice. We actually got to perform for him when he was still with us not too long ago for another art gala,” Hervey said. “We love being advocates for the arts. It’s a nice full-circle moment to honor him, because he was such a lovely man. Such an important force of nature as a vocalist.”
Karen Ho, Steve Buscemi and Marisa Tomei.
Nina Westervelt/WWD
”We’re here to continue Tony’s legacy in providing for the students of Exploring the Arts so they can fulfill their dreams,” said Kelsey Bennett as guests found their seats. Throughout dinner, Bennett’s friends and admirers took the stage to offer a tribute to the late musician and read excerpts from his book “Just Getting Started.”
“One of the things I’ve loved about Tony, besides his immense talent as a singer and interpreter for song, [is] he loved being a mentor,” said actor Steve Buscemi. “And he just knew how important it is to help the next generation, the same way that he was helped.”
Rosie Perez shared her personal connection to Bennett’s song “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” which her father would play for her as a way to connect whenever she visited him in Puerto Rico. “ I cofounded a charity — I stepped down because it’s really hard, so please give a lot of money tonight,” said Perez, reminding the crowd of the evening’s primary purpose: supporting youth arts education.
The evening featured musical performances by ETA students between dinner courses and more readings from Bennett’s book. Marking the evening’s midpoint, Scorsese led the room in offering a Champagne toast to Bennett’s influence.
“ Music gave Tony something precious, and he gave the best of himself to that music,” Scorsese said. “He wanted to provide the same possible opportunities for young people to open them up to new possibilities, to really find new worlds through art. That’s what Exploring the Arts is all about. I’m sure he would’ve been so thankful and relieved to know that the work of Exploring the Arts was going on after his passing.”