Double Dancin’: Danceworks’ wildly successful Mad Hot Celebration last year was topped by this year’s event, with the audience size doubling to 300. Hosted by Mario and Cathy Costantini at their beautiful La Lune Collection headquarters in Riverwest, the evening’s program was headed by Danceworks Executive Director Deborah Farris and organized by Elyse Cohn and Hannah Wallisch. In his opening remarks, Mayor Tom Barrett recalled how he somehow managed to score an A/B in dancing in college, despite being ballroom-challenged. The kids then wowed the crowd with their dancing prowess. Bella, the Costantinis’ pug, approved.

Enjoying the production were board chair Tim Frautschi and his wife, Sue, Rebecca Bardwell and her husband, psychologist Gene Braaksma, and University School of Milwaukee Spanish teacher Holly Morse and her husband, attorney Dan, along with Brad Sehler and dentist Angela Lueck, Pam and Paul Miller, Judy and Don Shane and Angela Mulberry-McGee. 

Circulating were Lakefront’s Russ Klisch and his wife, May, North Point Lighthouse Friends’ operations manager; Francis X. Vogel, whose new company is called Mission Driven, and his wife, Brenda Del Valle; and Jeff Tredo, architect with Korb Tredo, with his wife, Michelle. 

Nancy Pinter and Max Samson, the artistic director of Optimist Theatre, said they were set for their upcoming production of The Tempest at Alverno. Getting ready for their nuptials, Hotel Metro’s Jamie Hummert and his fiancée, Tamara Swan, celebrated her birthday.

Happy Days: PrideFest opened with typical flair, including a performance by the over-the-top Cyon Flare; the glittering Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence’s founding members Sister Anita Nuther-Cocktail and Sister Gimm E. Sum; and the flamboyant Mr. and Miss PrideFest Pageant.

Fair Wisconsin Education Fund’s third-annual Leadership Awards were held on the grounds with state Rep. Sandy Pasch announcing the winners over the roar of the Blue Angels’ air show. Community advocate winner was Leonard Sobczak, Wisconsin Gazette co-founder; the activists award was given to Fair Wisconsin Action Network co-chairs Cylest and Katie Andaloro-Brooks and Michael Burmesch and Brad West; Diverse and Resilient’s award was accepted by Mark O’Neill. Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin was attending the state Democratic convention, so Ruth Irvings, a Fair Wisconsin Board member, read her thank-you statement. 

The program included remarks by Fair Wisconsin Executive Director Katie Belanger and board President Robert Starshak. In the audience were Sobczak’s fans: his sister Deborah and her husband, Doug Brodzik; Julie Solochek and the Gazette staff, including editor-in-chief Louis Weisberg plus Pat Walsh and Sarah Morgan, Christopher Guest and board member Mike Fitzpatrick. Outside, B&D bumped into poet Carmen Murguia and Jessica Cavazos, who does constituent liaison/community outreach for Congresswoman Gwen Moore.

Yo, Ho, Ho: There was rum galore at the unveiling party for Roaring Dan’s rum at Great Lakes Distillery, named after "Roaring Dan" Seavey, the only man busted for piracy on the Great Lakes. Owner Guy Rehorst, marketing director Ryan Rappis and distiller Doug MacKenzie hosted revelers swinging to King Solomon’s reggae beat and downing Caribbean catering from Matty’s. Rehorst business partner Mike Formella and his wife, Beth, also were spotted.

Ignoring the night’s downpour, partiers included admirably tattooed Joey Wright; Dave Davis and his wife, Mary; The PrivateBank’s Jim Meyer; Greg Alevizos of Capitol-Husting; and contractor Kevin Huwiler, chatting with massage therapist Tiffanie Acevedo, there with her brother, Jeremy Doering. The latter was in town to investigate opening yoga studios and Gobble Up, a healthy turkey burger outlet.

Showing smooth island moves on the dance floor were Keith Stegall with his cousin Alvis Sterling and Jean Carerros and her husband, Greg, in his calf-length German “bundhosen.” Mike Johnson, the distillery’s self-proclaimed “ambassador of good will,” hustled ice and beverages.

Got Buffetted: The ubiquitous Peter Buffett was in Milwaukee to hawk his book Life Is What You Make It and raise funds for 88Nine RadioMilwaukee. Among his stints, he was the guest of honor at a Lynden Sculpture Garden reception. A perfect summer night, the evening defied the 100% chance of rain forecast, much to the relief of Executive Director Mary Louise Mussoline and the committee—Sarah Zimmerman, Anne Booth, Katie Heil and Kathy Crocker, striking in one of her collection of Frank Olive hats.

Buffett talked about the station he helped found and thanked Jeff Bentoff for his role in its inception. Among 88Nine board members there were Carl Cahill, Tina Chang, Danae Davis and Ken Krei, president and CEO of M&I Wealth Management, with his wife, Melinda Scott Krei, and their son Andrew, recently back in Milwaukee playing with The Good Luck Joes. Others having a grand evening were Buffett’s brother-in-law Joe Heil and his wife, Kelley; Juli Kaufmann of Pragmatic Development and her husband, Mike, from Derco Aerospace; M&I CEO Mark Furlong and his wife, Jodi; Linda and John Daley; and Jane and Tom Lacy. 88Nine producer Adam Carr was there with his mom, Janet Carr, who photographed the evening, and deejay Jordan Lee brought his wife, Sheri, and adorable 1-year-old Zahra.

If you have any tips for Boris and Doris, contact them at borisanddorisott@aol.com. Their next column will appear in the July 1 issue of the Shepherd.