On October 29, several Ertegun Alumni reconnected in New York for Bette Midler’s “Hulaween in the Cosmos.” Emily and Lacey, currently based at Yale; Eileen and Adjoa, based in DC; and Jordan and Laura, based in New York; all eagerly traveled to attend the event as guests of Mica Ertegun. The gala, which benefits the New York Restoration Project, honored Mica for her generous and consistent support with the “Wind Beneath my Wings” award. Hosted on the Upper West Side in the Church of St. John the Divine, the party was decked out with colorful lights and cosmic projections for the occasion. Guests were dressed as aliens, astronauts, and planets, among other curious costumes, and milled about the room as actors propped up on stilts and hidden beneath layers of ghostly sheets and masks jumped out from behind the large church pillars. Our own costumes featured an impressive array of space creatures, from Black Holes and Martians to Space Queens and Black Tie Comets. The night began with cocktails and caviar and transitioned into a wonderful dinner performance. Bette Midler entertained the crowd with her signature combination of song, dance, and comedy, and Wynton Marsalis interrupted his own stage performance to serenade Mica on the occasion of her 92nd birthday. His lovely tribute, with soft, jazzy notes that floated from his trumpet into the spellbound room, was perhaps the highlight of the night. The musician even came up to speak with the Ertegun alumni after the performance, which was a real treat. After dinner, scholars moved to the afterparty at the front of the cathedral, replete with strobe lights, a DJ, and champagne. We were all grateful for the lovely evening, a chance to take a break from school and work, reconnect with old friends, and pay tribute to our wonderful benefactor.
