Tonight’s boldfaced parties:
• Avon Foundation Awards Celebration. New York State Theater, Lincoln Center, 6:30 p.m. The event will feature a performance by ex–American Idol Fantasia; scheduled guests include Sarah and Emily Hughes and rugged fake-doctor heartthrob Patrick Dempsey. Does getting in a brawl make you more of a rugged heartthrob if it’s a fight with an actor playing a doctor?
• New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children gala. Pierre Hotel, 2 E. 61st. St., nr. Fifth Ave., 6:15 p.m. Hosted by Rosie O’Donnell with promised appearances from Deborah Norville, Joan Rivers, and Mo Rocca. The centerpiece of the evening: an auction of autographed children’s books by celebrity “authors” including Jason Alexander, Will Smith, Ted Kennedy, Billy Joel, and Ed Bradley. Man, imagine getting in one of those slapstick situations where you sneeze and the auctioneer thinks you’re bidding — and you end up paying $10,000 for a children’s book by Ed Bradley?
• ACE Awards. Cipriani 42nd Street, 110 E. 42nd. St., nr. Vanderbilt Ave., 7 p.m. Promised guests: J. Lo and Marc Anthony, Naomi Watts, Tom Ford, Zac Posen. The ACE Awards celebrate feats of World War I–style bi-plane dogfight derring-do. We didn’t check that; we’re just assuming, based on the name and the guest list. Or else maybe it has something to do with accessories, as though that makes any more sense.
Looking for something lower-key and more accessible? Check out all our Agenda listings for tonight, selected by New York’s culture editors.
