Out & Intro This column covers events where famous, powerful, and influential people gather and their outfits. This week: We attended a screening of “Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story” and the New York Philharmonic’s Spring Gala.
Rocker greets fans
Jon Bon Jovi stood blinking, rubbing his eyes, temporarily blinded by the glare of a row of photographers on Thursday night.
After coming to his senses, the musician said, “Okay, I’m here now,” and then said, “Hello, honey,” with wide eyes and a bright white smile.
He was standing inside a movie theater at South Street Seaport for a special screening of the new documentary series “Thank You, Good Night: The Bon Jovi Story.” He approached the event hosted by the Cinema Society and Hulu with the same charming grit that helped make him famous.
The show, now on Hulu, traces the musician's path from his teenage years playing covers in Asbury Park, New Jersey, to his rise to mega-stardom, filling stadiums with rock music with his band Bon Jovi. It also addresses vocal cord issues that led to recent surgery.
“I look really cool,” said Bon Jovi, 62, wearing a leather jacket and jeans and with feathery gray hair. “What you see in the movie is from a year or two ago. It's a work in progress. “But at this point, the road to recovery is still long.”
Bon Jovi is scheduled to release his 16th studio album 'Forever' on June 7th. The band currently has no plans to tour, but the frontman is hopeful. “When the time comes, we’ll tour,” he said.
A crowd including model Maye Musk and TV host Dan Abrams gathered in the comfortable seats of the iPIC Fulton Market Theater to watch the first episode of the four-part series directed and produced by Gotham Chopra. After the screening, Bon Jovi answered questions and tried to put the health issues presented in the series into context.
“Woe to me if I can’t perform at Giants Stadium,” he said. “So what if I can’t sing again?”
The audience then meandered to Fulton by Jean-Georges, an upscale seafood restaurant overlooking the East River. There, the crowd surrounded the musician near a raw bar. The rocker laughed and chatted with fans, including actress Jennifer Esposito.
Ms. Esposito said she asked her hairdresser in high school about Bon Jovi's look. “I would get a picture of him and say, ‘Make it look like that,’” she recalled.
The two later acted alongside each other. “He’s a great dude from Jersey.” she said “He was not a great person. He just wanted to show up and do good things.”
Just before 10pm, after posing for a row of selfies, the musician slipped out the door. Servers kept rolling around with sliders and summer rolls, and “Livin' on a Prayer” played in the restaurant while the young bartender smiled and sang the lyrics to himself.
Preview of Dudamel at the New York Philharmonic
“What are we excited about tonight?” said Agnes Hsu-Tang, archaeologist, art historian, and wife of Oscar L. Tang, co-president of the New York Philharmonic.
“Dudamel!” She said she and her husband spoke in one voice.
They attended a cocktail reception before the New York Philharmonic's annual spring gala at David Geffen Hall on Wednesday night. In a special East Coast appearance, the Los Angeles Philharmonic's charismatic conductor Gustavo Dudamel led the New York Philharmonic in a 90-minute program and a preview of what will happen when he officially takes over as musical and artistic director of the orchestra. I did. 2026.
In attendance that night were some of the biggest names in music, including conductor Leonard Bernstein's children, Jamie, Alexander and Nina Bernstein. J'Nai Bridges, mezzo-soprano; and countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo.
“The whole idea is to take classical music out of the box and show the world how flexible and versatile it can be,” Jamie Bernstein said.
Many attendees this evening met for the first time Dudamel, 43, a rare virtuoso whose reputation extends beyond classical music. That's not to say everything will go smoothly for Mr. Dudamel. He will face an investigation into how the orchestra handled sexual assault allegations in 2010, along with the challenge of reaching younger, more diverse audiences.
But on Wednesday night, he led the orchestra through composer Nina Shekhar's “The Mother Is Standing,” waving his baton and bouncing his curls. This was followed by Heitor Villa Lobos' aria from Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 (special feature of soprano Park Hye-sang Hera), Arturo Márquez's Danzone No. 8, and Richard Strauss' Rosencavalier Suite.
The gala also featured a performance by rapper and actor Common. Bernie Williams, classical guitarist and former New York Yankees center fielder; and student musicians from across New York City. The night drew about 2,200 people and raised more than $2.4 million for the orchestra.
Later, during a dinner of jumbo asparagus and Amish chicken, a beaming Park graciously entertained many people.
“I was so excited before my first rehearsal with Dudamel that I couldn’t sleep, so I woke up at 6 a.m.” She said as her people gathered around her table to congratulate her. “And tonight was even better than I could have imagined,” she added.