WESTERN FRONT – Amy Vanderbilt's Valentine's Ball

Description:

Lin Bennett organized a ball in the Grand Luxe Hall inspired by the death of Amy Vanderbilt, a leading authority on American etiquette. The evening featured musical and theatrical performances starring Glenn Lewis as Amy Vanderbilt, Paul Wong and Ann Allen as the Emperor and Empress of Wu, the Vignettes as a chorus line of debutants, and Eric Metcalfe as Dr. Brute—who played the Brute sax with accompaniment from Taki Bluesinger (drums) and Don Druick (flute).

The space was decorated with Valentine-themed décor, including heart-shaped cut-outs held by the Hand of the Spirit. Guests were invited to appear in evening dress, and dancing followed the performance.

Video documentation is available upon request.

Wearing a tuxedo, Eric Metcalfe plays a handmade saxophone painted with leopard spots. He is joined on the stage of the Grand Luxe Hall by Taki Bluesinger on drums and Don Druick on flute. The back of the room is decorated with paper cutouts of black hand shapes holding red hearts.

Captions:

Taki Bluesinger, Eric Metcalfe as Dr. Brute, and Don Druick performing at Amy Vanderbilt's Valentine's Ball, photo documentation, Feb 14, 1975.

Western Front is a non-profit
artist-run centre in Vancouver.

We acknowledge the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations as traditional owners of the land upon which Western Front stands.