Glorious evening to celebrate all things Hearst
Itwas obvious in Wednesday’s screening of the newdocumentary “CitizenHearst” thatHearst CEO Frank Bennack Jr.— who’s been with the Houston Chronicle’s parent company for 50 of its 125 years— is a visionary. Butwho knewhe could dance?
Bennack and his wife, Mary Lake Bennack, were among more the partierswho answered JenniferHudson’s“Wanna dance with me?” invitation during the Oscar- winning singer’s rousing concert after the screening at the Asia Society Texas Center.
“Woo, y’allwore me out,” cooedHudson as she caught her breath after wriggling up close and personal with more than a dozen excited guests.
Before the screening, “CitizenHearst” writer and director Leslie Iwerks ( daughter of Disney legend Don Iwerks) gave Bennack a bound copy of the film’s 40 interview transcripts—“including everything on the cuttingroom floor,” she said. She had a lot to squeeze into the film’s 86 minutes, given theHearst Corp.’ s colorful history.
AHearst team transformed the center with displays of posters depicting classic imagery from Hearstmagazines and inspiring comments from some of the creative icons who’ve contributed to them — from RichardAvedon’s elephants to Jean Shrimpton’s astronaut look to Diana Vreeland’s Harper’s Bazaar bests.
The out- of- town-visitors, includingHearst executiveswhowork everyday inNorman Foster’smajesticHearst Tower, were awed byYoshio Taniguchi’s sensitive architecture for theAsia Society. This has truly become the place to party when you want to show Houston at its world class best.
And what an event this one was. “These people know how to party,” Iwerks said.
Hearst’s 125th anniversary partywas a fitting tribute to founder William Randolph Hearst, who thought big and lived large. Loving it: HearstCOO
Hearst Newspaper executive vice president Mark Aldam; all of the Chronicle’s top brass, including chairman Jack Sweeney, publisher Tom Stephenson, president John T. O’Loughlin, managing editor Steve
and executive vice president, editorial, Jeff
who is featured in the film.
Also in the stellar crowd: Mayor Annise Parker, Bill and Andrea White, Soraya and Scott McClelland, Beth and Ed Wolff, Bill Balleza, Linda Lorelle, Gracie Cavnar, Miya Shay, Bill King, Susan McEldoon, Tony Diaz, Bill Kimbrell and Bob Danzig, author and former president of Hearst Newspapers. molly. glentzer@chron.com lindsey. love@ chron. com