The Imperial Court of New York’s 26th Annual Night of A Thousand Gowns hit the Marriott Marquee this past Saturday and brought a whirlwind of fun and excitement to anyone attending.
The night’s theme of “Wonderland” was taken to the extremes of camp with a royal flare. The costumes by reigning Emperor and Empress Pepperica Swirl and Vanity Society alone were enough to call home about. The amount of creativity behind their brains is incredible. With probably more than seven costume changes each, this duo could have done a full show on their own.
The rest of the show’s performances had highs and lulls, highlights including Lisa -Lampinelli’s stand up, a performance from the cast of Chicago, and the opening/closing performances by the court.
The new Emperor and Empress, Ritz Kracker and Witti Repartee, were crowned towards the end of the evening to cheers and hollers from the audience.
Marcus Samuelsson is an Ethiopian-born, Swedish-raised chef and owner of Red Rooster Harlem in New York City and three other restaurants.
As of 2010, he lives in Harlem, near the site of his newest restaurant, Red Rooster, which opened in December 2010.
In March 2011, the Red Rooster hosted a fund-raising dinner for the Democratic National Committee. President Obama attended the dinner. The $30,800-per-plate event raised $1.5 million.
After appearing consistently as a culinary judge on the Food Network show Chopped Samuelsson competed in and won Chopped All Stars: Judges Remix. He was awarded the grand prize of $50,000 for his charity, the Careers Through Culinary Arts Program.
In 2013, Samuelsson won the James Beard Foundation award for Writing and Literature related to food. The book, Yes, Chef: A Memoir, chronicles his journey, from his grandmother’s kitchen to his arrival in New York City, and the earning of a New York Times three-star rating at the age of twenty-four.
