Cello hero Yo-Yo Ma brings string fever to jubilant Fort Worth Symphony Gala

A cello-bratory evening

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With apologies to the acts playing at Dickies Arena and AT&T Stadium on Saturday, February 25, the real rockstar in town was onstage at Fort Worth’s Bass Performance Hall: Yo-Yo Ma joined the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra as featured guest artist for its 2023 Gala Concert.

The global superstar cellist - whose resume includes 19 Grammy-winning albums, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, performing for nine American presidents, and jam sessions on Sesame Street - got a hero’s welcome the moment he emerged onstage before a sold-out audience of all ages, ecstatic to see the once-in-a-generation music icon perform live.

A consummate performer, Ma was just as generous to the audience, playfully teasing late-comers to their seats and then smiling at the front rows during his performance of Elgar’s Cello Concerto with the orchestra. No one was having a better time than Ma was, it appeared.

Afterwards - during several callbacks and a long ovation - he extended the warmth to the orchestra musicians and music director Robert Spano, whom he embraced in a bear hug before performing a solo encore and then exiting the stage.

The electricity of the concert surged over to the black-tie Gala dinner and concert at the Worthington Renaissance Hotel.

Attendees walked the red carpet for photo ops and mingled at a cocktail reception before sitting down to a sumptuous surf-and-turf dinner in a ballroom decked out in a chic black-and-white motif.

The 2023 Gala was chaired by legacy FWSO patrons Ashli Blumenfeld, Anne Marie Bratton, Kimberly Johnson, Mary Hart Lipscomb, and Misty Locke.

The night was to honor and celebrate Gala Chairman Mercedes T. Bass for her 30 years of support and dedication to the FWSO (most of them as chairman of the board). Unfortunately, Bass was unable to attend due to illness. Nevertheless, the tributes went on.

In onstage remarks, longtime friend and FWSO patron Alann Sampson said, "Mercedes' leadership has lifted the symphony to a new stage of prominence and productivity. Through her generous support and encouragement, she has taken the most difficult challenges and turned them into triumphs.”

FWSO president and CEO Keith Cerny and maestro Spano echoed the appreciation and gave personal gratitude to Bass.

Spano also recognized his predecessor Miguel Harth-Bedoya, who was in attendance. "I am immensely grateful to him to have shepherded this orchestra for two decades to be the magnificent orchestra that it is," he said, "and I just want to thank him for passing the baton to me."

A live auction for trips and jewelry raised crucial funds for the FWSO’s education programs, and a “raise the paddle” initiative allowed guests to contribute at various levels from their tables.

Once the speeches and fundraising had concluded, the party revved up. For the first time since the pandemic's onset, a party band (Time Machine) took the stage and filled the dance floor.

While Yo-Yo Ma was not spotted getting down with his bad self on the dance floor, plenty of others made a late-night of it.

Among those enjoying the Gala Concert & Dinner throughout the evening were Aaron Howard, Corrie Hood-Howard, Andrew Lombardi, Adrienne Lombardi, Blake Lipscomb, Rebecca Rucker, Clark Rucker, Lauren Bredthauer, Clark Bredthauer, Bridget Stonesifer, Clare Stonesifer, Ronnie Hernandez, David Rader, Madolin Rosenthal, Sarah Raderm, Ben Rosenthal, Steven Blumenfeld, Todd Blumenfeld, and Sharon Blumenfeld, Matthew Johnson, Kendall Kostohryz, Jennie Doumany, Mary Smith, Dwayne Smith, Nancy Hallman, Lee Hallman, Tara Warren, Sharma Dean, Asad Dean, Terence McCarthy, Robert Warren, Kim McCarthy, Michelle Marlow, Teresa King, Mollie Lasater, Wesley Gentle, Amber Gentle, and hundreds more faithful FWSO supporters and guests.

Photo by Karen Almond

Mary Hart Lipscomb, Kendall Kostohryz, Madolin Rosenthal, Jennie Doumany

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'Yellowstone' stars to greet fans at Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo

Yellowstone news

Yellowstone fans, get your comfy shoes ready - there'll be a long line for this one. Cole Hauser a.k.a. "Rip Wheeler" on Yellowstone, and Taylor Sheridan, the show's co-creator, executive producer, and director of the series, will meet fans and sign autographs at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo.

The event will take place from 4:30-6:30 pm only on Friday, February 3. Location is the 6666 Ranch booth near the south end of Aisle 700 in the Amon G. Carter, Jr. Exhibits Hall.

According to a February 2 announcement from FWSSR, "fans will have the opportunity to snag an autograph as well as purchase some distinctive Yellowstone and 6666 Ranch merchandise while also enjoying all the features the Stock Show offers."

The event is free to attend (with paid Stock Show admission) and open to the public.

It's the second year in a row for Hauser to appear at FWSSR; in 2022, he and fellow cast mates drew huge crowds.

Sheridan, a Paschal High School graduate, is no stranger to Fort Worth; he lives in a ranch near Weatherford and filmed 1883, the prequel to Yellowstone, in and around Fort Worth. Currently, another spinoff, 1883: The Bass Reeves Story, is filming in North Texas.

The Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo is winding up its 2023 run on Saturday, February 4.

Ultra-chic Postino WineCafe brings wine and bruschetta to Southlake

Wine News

A nationally acclaimed wine bar-restaurant has opened in Southlake: Postino WineCafé, specializing in wine, bites, and a chic atmosphere, opened a location at 1440 Main St., in Southlake Town Square, in the no-brainer slot next to Trader Joe's.

Postino is known for its daily happy hour, bruschetta boards, and menu built for sharing, as well as a laid-back atmosphere, designed for all-day hangouts with friends, date nights, client get-togethers, and family outings.

The chain first came to Dallas in 2021 when they opened a location in Deep Ellum. They closed that location two years later in March 2023 and relocated to Addison, where they just opened in August.

"We are thrilled to bring Postino to Southlake and the heart of bustling Town Square," says Postino Co-Founder Lauren Bailey. “The Dallas/Fort Worth market is very important to us, and we are excited to be expanding our footprint here so soon – just a month since debuting in Addison."

Founded in Arizona in 2001, Postino's goal is to bring people together over wine and food. Its bruschettas are a menu mainstay, artfully presented on boards made of reclaimed wood, with 12 variations including:

Prosciutto Di Parma, Fresh Fig & Mascarpone
Sweet N’ Spicy Pepper Jam & Goat Cheese
Brie, Apple and Fig Spread
Ricotta, Dates & Pistachio

Guests can mix and match four bruschetta per board, meaning you can try more than one a time. The entire menu is that way: designed without a definitive beginning or end, with the freedom to tailor your experience based on the occasion, from a meal to a swift bite.

A category called Snacky Things features chicken and filet skewers with garlic yogurt, shrimp scampi, and crispy cauliflower with sultana raisins, capers, and a Romesco drizzle.

There are entrée salads, soups, hand-pressed paninis (on ciabatta or focaccia bread), with the option to mix-and-match sandwich, salad, and soup.

Desserts include: Chocolate Bouchon with vanilla bean ice cream, Crème Brulee, and Salted Caramel Sundae with vanilla ice cream, chocolate covered corn nuts, pretzel sticks, and salted caramel drizzle.

Weekend brunch is served from 11 am-3 pm with spritzy cocktails, lemonades, and bowls

The wine list by Advanced Sommelier and Beverage VP Brent Karlicek is especially fun to sample during their 11 am-5 pm happy hour spotlighting 25-plus wines for $6 a glass, along with $6 pitchers of beer, both local and beyond.

"We fervently champion winemakers across the globe – from trailblazers like Folk Machine, Mary Taylor, and Scarpetta to the guardians of tradition like Ernst Loosen and Bonny Doon," Karlicek says in a statement. "Producers dedicated to crafting approachable, harmonious wines without sacrificing excellence truly resonate with us. Our aim is to kindle a symphony of excitement and curiosity within our patrons during their dining journey."

Decor is attuned to the neighborhood, with art installations and local/vintage finds. At Southlake, that means a tribute to the Back to The Future series, which was the original inspiration that shaped architect Brian Stebbins’s design for Town Square. An interior wall is decked with close to 400 vintage clocks, juxtaposed by plants.

A semi-private dining space can accommodate up to 14 guests for showers, parties, and other events.

Fort Worth Fire Department welcomes its largest recruit class ever

Firefighter News

The Fort Worth Fire Department must be doing something right: On September 25, the department welcomed its newest class of recruits at Bob Bolen Public Safety Complex to start their Fire Training Academy journey, a 36-week course.

With 60 recruits, the class is twice the size as the usual Academy class — making it the largest recruit class in the history of the department.

The class of 60 includes two sub-groups:

The first group, Class 93, consists of 10 "fast-tracked" students who already hold their Fire and EMS certifications. They'll graduate on November 17.
The second group, Class 94, consists of 50 brand new recruits who hold no certifications. They'll graduate on May 17, 2024.

This largest class in the history of the Fort Worth Fire Department comes after the Mayor, City Council and City Management’s vote to approve staffing levels where they need to be for a Department serving a city this size.

In August, a fire ad-hoc committee recommended increasing the fire department's staffing with 76 new positions, from 979 to 1,049 positions - particularly to cut back on overtime costs, racked up due to an increase in the number of special events they are called on to cover.

The recommendation called for the department to take on two 50-person recruitment classes, one in September and one in February, with approximately 25 percent predicted to fall out due to attrition, for a total of 76.

In addition to the increased number of recruits attending the Academy, staffing studies and negotiations with City leadership and stakeholders has made room for an additional 15 people to be added to the training team. These new training instructors, as well as the use of adjunct instructors from within the Department, will provide even more skill-based learning opportunities with experienced and tenured firefighters.

In a statement, Chief JIm Davis said, "I want to thank the Mayor, City Council and City Management for their diligence in seeing us through our staffing study and helping make the necessary adjustments to our staffing levels. I’m excited that the Department is growing alongside the City of Fort Worth and look forward to watching the new recruits go through one of the best training academy’s in the country."

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