Here’s to the brainy women who make charity parties more interesting, like Ann Tenenbaum, Allison Mignone and Amabel James.

Of course they do more than attend parties, and, of course, their entree to New York’s philanthropic scene has something to do with the lucrative careers of their husbands: Tenenbaum’s spouse is leveraged buyout legend Thomas H. Lee; Mignone, who worked at Blue Ridge Capital, is married to Bridger Management’s Roberto Mignone; and James is the wife of Blackstone Group President Tony James.

But make no mistake, these women have become influential on their own, and that means every now and then they get involved in the planning of social, fundraising occasions.

Tenenbaum put her mark on the Lincoln Center Fall Gala Thursday evening by requesting a buffet supper and a mix of standard round dinner tables and comfy lounge areas. Many treated the seating as optional.

"I insisted on it," Tenenbaum said. "We’re often trapped at these things. It’s too formal."

"I told her tonight, only you could create such fun chaos," said J. Tomilson Hill. "Everyone is out of their comfort zone -- it’s wild."

Marsalis, Cash

Being the honorees, Tenenbaum and her husband also chose the entertainment: Wynton Marsalis and Rosanne Cash, who tailored the program for their friends with numbers like "Tom Cat Blues" for Lee and "Sweet Georgia Brown" for Tenenbaum, a Savannah native.

The event raised $3.5 million, making it Lincoln Center’s most successful Fall Gala though only another chapter in the couple’s support: Lee has been a board member for more than 20 years and a champion of the Lincoln Center Festival. Tenenbaum has guided the Film Society of Lincoln Center through a major expansion and key staff changes as its chairman for 10 years.

Tenenbaum also studies philosophy, writes poetry and is co- chairman of mtheory, which provides support to musicians by working closely with their managers and financing artists who don’t have traditional industry partners.

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