Black Tie & Tales

+ Front row frenzy
Firefly Gala sponsors chose their seats for the Go-Go’s concert at Forty Carrots Family Center’s Seat Selection Soiree March 5, at Saks Fifth Avenue Sarasota — with the Go-Go’s playing over the loud speakers, of course. State Street Eating House and Cocktails served light bites while guests mingled.
Saks Fifth Avenue Sarasota donated a pair of John Hardy earrings, which Natalie Nelson modeled during the event. Octavio Ortiz was the winner of the auction, and he gave the earrings to his wife, Jessica.
Sitting front row at the Go-Go’s post-gala concert will be Bob and Chairwoman Ariane Dart and Jeff and Ellen Steinwachs. Art and Peggy Wood also selected prime seats with their daughters, Abby and Daisy Wood, who will be flying in for the event.

Dart announced that a Ritz-Carlton Members Club membership would be one of the live auction items at the event, which takes place March 29, at The Ritz-Carlton Members Golf Club. For more information, visit fireflygala.org.

+ Madcap madder than ever
Senior Friendship Centers’ fifth annual “Madcap Evening” on March 4 more than lived up to its name. Chairwoman Debbie Frank headed up a team of co-chairs: Ingrid Bookbiner-Keating, JoAnn Nevins and Sunny Flynn and silent auction chair Joan Arnold. The theme was “Musicale & Musings,” and Sarasota Opera studio singers and the Tierra Nueva Band delivered the first and Richard Langdon Cook, author of “The Bright Side of Life,” the second. Les McCurdy entertained following comments about the Centers by Chef Paul Mattison and event founder Harold Ronson, who mentioned Kitty Carlisle. McCurdy got a big laugh by noting that only in Sarasota would an audience even know who she was, and an even bigger one with a tale about seniors, sex and an armless rocking chair …

Were that not madcap enough, the lovely Valerie Leatherwood was wearing shoes made of black feathers virtually identical to the ones adorning the white hydrangea centerpieces. More zany charm came from John Whipple, part of the live auction team. Guests learned he is also a professional horn player when he picked up a trumpet that was part of the décor and sat in with the Tierra Nueva band for a rousing version of “Guantanamera.”

Final accounting is still in progress but Friendship Centers is happily reporting a record net for the evening. See more photos here.

+ Tidbits
Joy and sleepless nights ahead … Devyn and Bethany Dugger are on the final countdown to their baby girl, who is due at the end of April. Bethany was showered with love by baby shower hosts Andrea Cox, Sarah Mackie, Katie Tanner and Denise Saputo March 1, at Social on First. Guests in attendance included Meghan Cox, Jamie Hannon, Sue Coleman, Mary Mastro, Sandy Buchanan, Sara Ferguson, Melody Lamont and Amanda Vincent … Beauty is in the eye of the beholder … the late Ethel Taub had a great eye for all things beautiful, which will be honored with a weekend of programs about Jewish Art at Temple Beth Israel of Longboat Key. Her husband, Ronald Taub, and daughter Marcia Jean Taub sponsor the presentations, featuring antiques expert and museum curator Arthur Feldman. Feldman will speak about Andy Warhol at 5:30 p.m. March 28 and about Marc Chagall at 10 a.m. March 29. Attendees are invited to bring their “Treasures from the Attic” at 10:30 a.m. March 30 for discussion and appraisal. Only the last event has a fee: $15. (Free for Temple members.) For more information, call 383-3428 … The calendar calls … BT is collecting events for the Black Tie social calendar — if we don’t know about it, we can’t cover it! Email event details to [email protected].

+ Black Tie Affair
15th annual Sunshine from Darkness Reception and Dinner
Benefiting: International Mental Health Research Organization (IMHRO)
When: 6 p.m. Friday, March 21
Where: The Ritz-Carlton, Sarasota
Tickets: $100 to $500
Contact: 504-6717