Three decades before Rihanna sang “Good Girl Gone Bad,” Olivia Newton-John brought Sandy to the silver screen, in Grease; and we’ve been “Hopelessly Devoted” to her, ever since.  Newton-John ushered-in the Video Era by getting “Physical;” and made us believe in “Magic” as a roller-skating Greek muse, in Xanadu.  So, it was no “Twist of Fate” when, it was announced last October, that the star of Flamingo Las Vegas’ resident show, Summer Nights, would be honored at Wynn Las Vegas, as Nevada Ballet Theatre’s 2016 Woman of the Year, at NBT’s 32nd annual Black & White Ball.  Why?  Because she’s the one that we want, and we honestly love her – that’s why.

My evening started off, at the Cartier boutique, on the Wynn Esplanade, where the VIP reception was getting underway.  Just as I entered the party, and got my bearings; I turned to see the Supreme Mary Wilson (dressed in black) and a blonde friend (dressed in white) enter the boutique, in what I proclaimed to be “a true Ebony and Ivory moment!” (Wilson grinned and, looking at NBT co-Founder, Nancy Houssels, said “He’s absolutely right.”)

Now, right away, I began getting comments on my look for the evening, which delighted me to no end, as I’d first seen the embroidered opera coat in the atelier of my friend, David Tupaz, when helping put-together the looks for Miss Nevada and Miss Nevada Outstanding Teen, last August.  I’d looked at Audra Baldwin and said “What do you think of this, for the Black and White Ball?”  Fast forward a half a year, and Tupaz had recut the garment to fit my dimensions, and added a samurai-inspired tie in the middle.  Worn over tuxedo pants, and a black tuxedo shirt with a black bowtie, I felt fierce, and have never received so many compliments on a look.  And while Newton-John felt obligated to ask Madeleine Andress (President, NBT’s Executive Board) about “the gentleman in the caftan;” my favorite reaction came from Sheryl & Rob Goldstein, who – as they entered Wynn and saw me – stopped in their tracks.  She didn’t even bother trying to suppress the eruption of giggles, while he asked if I’d raided his closet. 

As people progressed to the ballroom, first for cocktails, and then for dinner and the presentations, spirits were invariably high, and laughter was heard from all parts of the room.  The first order of business was bestowing “The Nancy Award” upon the very deserving Wendy Plaster, who’s been tirelessly championing the arts in Las Vegas, for more than a quarter century. 

Then came the Live Auction that included an evening with Lionel Richie for four, including VIP seats to his All The Hits residency at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood, and a backstage meet-and-greet; a trip for two to New York to attend Stella McCartney’s SS17 presentation; and a private, in-home five-course dinner for twelve, by Chef Mario Carbone.  It was Carbone’s birthday, that night, and as he was feeling particularly generous, two of those packages were auctioned-off, bringing-in $15,000 each!  As has become customary at this event, every Live Auction package winner was presented with an engraved bottle of Avión Silver, courtesy of Tequila Avión.  ¡Ole!

Next was the part of the evening where Dinner Chair, Gillian Wynn introduced Future Dance alumna Michia Eberhardt; but you can read all about that, in its own article, by clicking on the link, at the bottom of this page.

Finally, after showing a number of video tributes and congratulations from such notables as Jane Lynch and John Travolta, the ever-youthful Marie Osmond got up and introduced NBT’s 2016 Woman of the Year, Olivia Newton-John, who accepted her honorific, with all the charm and grace and humor for which she is known.

A quick autobiographical aside about how ONJ touched my life; and that was that her oeuvre was one of the things that signaled to me that I was gonna grow-up to be what the Brits cleverly refer to with a wink, as a ‘camp’ queen.  How?  Well, in 1984, while other boys my age were ushering themselves into manhood, with visions of her “Physical” video playing in their heads; eleven year-old me attended dozens of roller skating birthday parties, everytime praying to the muses, for a Xanadu moment.  And lemme tell ya – that’s pretty queer.  But, hey: that’s showbiz!

Olivia Newton-John | 2016 Woman of the Year
Nevada Ballet Theatre
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