Ladies and Gentlemen ... Placido Domingo
What if you couldn’t hear? What if you couldn’t see? What if your heart stopped working? These are the questions scientist, philanthropist, Angeleno and one of my all-time heroes, Al Mann asks himself everyday. And in those questions, he finds answers that result in ground-breaking prosthetics that connect neurological systems with the external world.
Tonight I met a girl at the Alfred E. Mann Foundation gala who was born deaf but today she can hear because she wears a cochlear implant invented by the MannKind Corporation, the development company run by Al Mann, in her left ear. Tonight she was given a second implant for her right ear from Al Mann and his Foundation. Another girl danced a tango performance she learned thanks to the gift of hearing she now has from her implants.
Kyle & Mauricio
Behind it all Al, and his wife and partner in crime Claude Mann gave awards, honored friends and colleagues and welcomed Placido Domingo to the stage.
Not exactly a crowd to jaw drop – with 400 of LA’s leading philanthropists and celebrities including Wallis Annenberg, Homeira Goldstein, Cheryl Hines, Paul Nassif & Adrienne Maloof Nassif (soon to be Real Housewife of Beverly Hills), Nigel Lithgoe, Kent & Joyce Kresa, Barbara Lazroff, USC President Max Nikkias, Mark Stern (Chairman of LA Opera), and Congressman Dana Rohabaker - but everyone agreed, even the room seemed to change color when the handsome and charismatic, 12-time Grammy Winning opera singer took the stage and sang three songs in Spanish.
Debbie Allen
Claude Mann, who hails from South of France, was dressed in tango red and came over to our table and asked if we had enough lamb and wine, to go along with the Tango tempo-ed, Argentinean themed, black tie event. Claude and Al met one night when they were both at arestaurant with mutual friends and it was love at first laugh; she fell in love with his big joyful laugh.
Choreographer Debbie Allen (who I didnt realize is sisters with Phylicia Rashād – and both are married to strapping b-ballers) was the “mistra” of ceremonies and did a dance number or two.
I sat across the table from Roman Bowsar, Chairman of the Red Cross and later went to visit with Cassie Mann, LA native, Notre Dame alum and daughter of Al and Claude Mann. She was holding court with her BFF Berna Ozlem (both ladies decked in Avkian jewelry), brother Brian Mann, Dr. Jay Calver and his wife, Matt & Leighann Rivera, Bravo’s new leading lady Kyle Richard (Real Housewives of Beverly Hills) and Mauricio Umansky, Kyle’s husband realtor extraordinarie. Cassie helped put the night together and sits on the board of Alfred E. Mann as Co-Chairperson with her family.
Nigel Lythgoe was also in attendance and told Debbie Allen that the new “Idol” judges have been “a bit too lenient” on the auditions just before he turned and waived his bidding mallet to donate $5000 for a deaf child’s cochlear implant.
I spoke with Joyce Kresa at the valet outside, who recently she sat on the Host Committee for the LA Philharmonic season opening gala last Thursday. She and her husband, Kent Kresa, Board Director of Mannkind and Chairman Emeritus of Northrop Grumman Corporation, were both honored tonight for their continued work and friendship with the Manns.
Mrs. Kresa told me she won a Salmon fishing trip from the silent auction and got a few extra days tacked on when she found herself face to face with the donor of the prize, Kyle Washington from Washington Group, later on that evening.
The silent and live auctions had some very cute other things we bid on like a Pro Mac Book, a Staples gift baskets with mounds of sharpiess stick its, trips all around the world – and an adorable puppy which Kyle Richards brought on stage to help get the crowd bidding – Mimi Danhiel ended up with the winning bid and new pal. Over $1 million was raised in one evening!
Debbie, Placido, Claude
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