Exclusive Breakfast at Tiffany Experience

BY OLIVIA DECKER

I HAVE BEEN A MEMBER OF THE SAN FRANCISCO OPERA GUILD’S board of directors since 1995, and I support their annual fundraising event at the Spring Fashion Show and Auction, hosted by Neiman Marcus, by purchasing one particular auction item: a trip to New York Fashion Week to attend an iconic fashion designer’s show, take a tour of the atelier, and interview that designer for my magazine.

This year, the auction package included an exclusive “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” experience at Tiffany & Co.’s store in New York. I was a fan of the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s. As a little girl, I dreamed of going to Tiffany’s in New York one day. My exclusive Breakfast at Tiffany’s experience was far better than the movie.

I invited my friends in New York, including three Broadway performers: Christina Maxwell, who is an actress and singer, and pediatric oncology arts therapist for the nonprofit RipRap, providing intensive one-on-one music and art therapy sessions for pediatric oncology patients; Lance Horn, the Emmy Award-winning composer, pianist, and lyricist who performed for President Obama and Queen Elizabeth; Jelani Remy, stage actor, Broadway singer, and cast as Simba in the Broadway production of The Lion King; Lorrie Erlick, a luxury event planner at Colin Cowie Lifestyle known to produce mega VIP events, including Jennifer Lopez’s wedding, and a co-producer and investor of the newly opened Broadway Museum.

My magazine’s editor-in-chief, Teresa Rodriguez, invited her friend Heidi Pettit, a principal of Vie PR and Pettit Consulting, and Nicole Rodriguez and Janet Vasquez of Day One ad agency. Christina invited her two dear friends, Brigitte Norton, a sculptor based in New York, with her husband, Christopher Norton, CEO of Equinox Hotels and mother of the brilliant late artist and writer, Charles W. Norton, and Laura Day Webb, the director of partnerships, programming, and events at High Line Nine Galleries in New York City. Webb is also an independent curator, art consultant, and development officer for the Immigrant Artist Biennial.

This was a group of interesting and hard-to-impress guests. The breakfast at Tiffany’s did not disappoint. It was held in a lovely room on the top floor of the flagship store, overlooking Fifth Avenue, surrounded by Tiffany’s fabulous jewelry in glass cases. Servers brought non-stop champagne, chocolate croissants, assorted pastries, aged gouda frittata with sugar snap peas and baby spinach, and gourmet coffee. The exquisite table setting with beautiful flowers, delicate porcelain dishes, and napkin rings made of silver and stone resembled a piece of Tiffany’s jewelry.

We started the breakfast with each person saying something about their recent activities, and the conversation got active from there. With three Broadway stars at the table, we could have started a concert or at least a rendition of “Moon River.” The display cases surrounding us grabbed our attention for shopping. The fantastic breakfast lasted three hours, and it was a truly magical experience to share with a great group of friends.

I thank Tiffany & Co. for their generous donation of this event to the San Francisco Opera Guild’s spring fundraiser and Tiffany’s director of client relations, Chrissy Vassar Raus, and her fantastic team for hosting this event which gave us a truly priceless, unique experience.