A glorious evening to celebrate all things Hearst
It was obvious inWednesday’s screening of the new documentary “Citizen Hearst” that Hearst CEO Frank
who’s been with the Chronicle’s parent company for 50 of its 125 years— is a visionary. But who knew he could dance?
Bennack and his wife, were amongmore the partiers who answered Jennifer Hudson’s “Wanna dance withme?” invitation during the Oscar- winning singer’s rousing concert after the screening at the Asia Society Texas Center.
“Woo, y’all wore me out,” cooedHudson as she caught her breath after wriggling up close and personal with more than a dozen excited guests.
Before the screening, “Citizen Hearst” writer and director Leslie Iwerks ( daughter of Disney legend Don Iwerks) gifted Bennack with 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 the Hearst Corp.’ s colorful history.
A Hearst team transformed the center with displays of posters depicting classic imagery from Hearstmagazines, notably Harper’s Bazaar, and inspiring comments from some of the creative icons who’ve contributed to them.
The out- of- town visitors, including Hearst executives who work every day in Norman Foster’s majestic Hearst Tower, were awed by Yoshio Taniguchi’s sensitive architecture for the Asia Society. This has truly become the place to party when you want to show Houston at its world- class best.
And what an event it was. “These people know how to party,” Iwerks said.
Loving it: Hearst COO Steven Swartz; Hearst Newspaper executive vice presidentMark Aldam: all of the Chronicle’s top brass including chairman Jack Sweeney, publisher Tom Stephenson, president John T. O’Loughlin, managing editor Steve Proctor and executive vice presidenteditorial Jeff Cohen ( who’s featured in the film).
Also in the stellar crowd: Mayor Annise Parker, Bill and Andrea White, Soraya and ScottMcClelland, James Campbell, Gracie Cavnar and Bill King.