AROUND TOWN

With Donna Shor

Donna Shor

LIGHT YEARS AHEAD All of us are affected in some way by the work of Charles Simonyi, the visionary technology pioneer recently honored at the Kennedy Center by the Hungarian-American Coalition. He was head developer of Microsoft's Word and Excel applications, and has been light years ahead in his innovations, which have changed the ways we record and communicate information.

Space is next in Simonyi's lifelong explorations: in 2007 he'll become the fifth private individual to soar to the International Space Station, plunking down $20 million for the trip. He has founded his own company, Intentional Software Corporation, but has kept ties with Microsoft, (including his attachment to a huge block of Microsoft stock, which probably helps explain that $20M ticket). Budapest-born Simonyi, who earned his doctorate at Stanford, is known for his philanthropies, and has given millions both here and abroad for scientific, medical and cultural institutions. The evening drew three astronauts, Hungarian Bertalan Farkas; Sen. John Glenn, the first American to orbit the earth; and NASA Shuttle Astronaut Bonnie Dunbar, who orbited it five times and now heads Seattle's Museum of Flight.

Maximilian Teleki, the Coalition's president; John N. Lauer, chairman of Diebold, Inc. and his wife Edith, the Coalition's chair emerita, were joined by György von Habsburg, president of the Hungarian Red Cross; Hungarian Ambassador András Simonyi (no relation) and his wife Nada; Mary Mochary; Sen. Maria Cantwell; Rep. Tom Lantos and wife Annette; Ina Ginsburg; Admiral Edmund Giambastiani, the vice chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff; Aniko Gaal Schott and Nash Whitney Schott; and Susan Hutchison, the dynamic executive director of Simonyi's foundation, the Charles Simonyi Fund for the Arts and Sciences. Sculptor-businessman John Safer, who was there with his wife Joy, said, “I have never seen the Roof Terrace look more beautiful!” Indeed, thanks to designer Aniko and Jack Lucky Floral Design, it did, with hundreds of white votive lights grouped around tall, tapering sterling silver flutes of white roses and white tulips. Gotta tell ya': a personal note about the very personable Charles Simonyi-when he leaves his computers and computations, he has been known to date Martha Stewart.

FINALLY FRIDA
The annual Georgetown House Tour was again a big success, and as usual, thanks to the watchful eye and tireless efforts of Frida Burling, a.k.a. the “amazingly-proactive-foran- Honorary-Chair” Frida. She says that she named her pull-no-punches recent memoirs Finally Frida because after all the years of being daughter of-, wife of- and mother of-, she now thinks of herself as finally, just Frida. Rick Rickertsen, the managing director of the venture capital firm Pine Creek Partners, hosted the tour's Patrons Party at the Laird-Dunlop Coach House. He said he drove by the historic N Street property for years before finally buying it. The tour's Corporate Benefactor was Doyle New York, with proceeds going to Georgetown's St. John's Episcopal Church charities.

A TRIBUTE WELL DESERVED
John Feinstein gave a touching tribute to his late father, the impresario Martin Feinstein, who helped make the Kennedy Center what it has become, and who built the Washington Opera into an important company. Appropriately, it took place at the gala evening to benefit the Young Concert Artists of Washington, as Feinstein did so much to develop artistic talent here. (This writer was present at a small dinner at Martin and Marcia Feinstein's home when the great Gian Carlo Menotti told Martin how much his sponsorship in Washington had burnished Menotti's already-heralded work.)

YCA Director Susan Wadsworth introduced two remarkable young artists who performed before the dinner, double bassist Daxun Zhang, who has embarked on a notable career, and the shimmering-voiced soprano Jennifer Check, who has sung at the Metropolitan and with important symphonies. The event, chaired by Anthony DiResta and Terrance Mason, was held in the Cosmos Club ballroom.

DIVINE MOMENT
The National Museum of Women in the Arts 24th Annual Spring Gala, Divina Latina, celebrated in style their exhibition Divine and Human: Women in Ancient Mexico and Peru. The black-tie gala was chaired by Martha Buchanan and José Lucero, a powerhouse husbandwife team. Martha, who was Texas' first primetime anchorwoman (and later established an oil and gas production company), has long served as an executive and supporter of the museum. Together with José, the founder and president of Southwest Program Development Corporation, they established the Four Seasons resort hotel in San Antonio, Texas. The 300 objects the museum displayed made clear the reverence in which women were held in these early cultures, being regarded as divine - considered goddesses. Question to all the women out there: Isn't it interesting that those ancient worshippers were so wise, and wouldn't we just love it if we could bring back that ol' time religion?

Event co-chairs Cyd MillerEverett and Julia Sevilla-Somoza de hopping at "Helping People See," the 39th annual gala for The International Eye Foundation, held April 5th at the residence of the Colombian Ambassador.

Janice Kim, Rachael Pearson, IzetteFolger and DianaCurtis at the May 4th opening reception for Izette's show of new landscape paintings (which are drawn from childhood memory), on display at the Shigeko Bork mu project from April 29th to June 3rd.)	Honoree Tom Lewis and Event Chair Jjames V. Kimsey at the April 18th benefit, celebrating 15 years of The Fishing School.

Musician Peter Gabriel spoke in support of WITNESS, which empowers human rights defenders to use video to catalyze grassroots activism, political engagement and lasting change, in Washington, on April 4	Animal Planet'’s Jeff Corwin was the guest speaker at The Washington Animal Rescue League's April 29th black-tie event at The Ritz- Carlton, held in celebration of the world's first completely cageless animal shelter.

If there is an upcoming event Around Town should know about, email Donna Shore at donnashor@washingtonlife.com.