Gala

STEPPIN' BACK ON THE Avenue" was the theme for the Associated Black Charities' gala fund-raiser at the Baltimore Convention Center. And it was gala chairwoman Beverly Carter and her committee who oversaw the transformation of Convention Center rooms into nightclubs called the Royal, the Sphinx and Carver Playhouse, all well-known names associated with Baltimore's Pennsylvania Avenue during its heyday in the 1940s and '50s.There was something for everyone, with live entertainment in the nightclubs, casino games, silent-auction items to bid on, and food served up by the center's chef, Benny Gordon.

For a couple of decades, Skip Leviton and his wife, Gertrude, have had their picture taken numerous times in the winner's circle at Maryland racetracks with a succession of stakes winners such as Gala Lil, Gala Harry or Gala Goldilocks.But the couple has never looked happier than they did yesterday when their 5-year-old horse, Gala Spinaway, won the $100,000 Polynesian Handicap at Pimlico Race Course.Jockey Mario Pino said the horse literally "charged away" from the opposition in the stretch, defeating runner-up Ibex by nearly three lengths.

If you went to last weekend's gala for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, you now have an idea of what Alice must have felt like after popping into Wonderland. As you entered the ballroom, you were greeted by an assortment of strange and magical creatures. A round table of hors d'oeuvres was "inhabited" by a sparkly creature in a tall hot-pink wig. As she moved, the table did, too, like a skirt around her, turning her into a living lazy Susan. "Don't call me lazy, but you can call me Susan," the "table" announced.

More than 230 mayors are expected at the Baltimor Convention Center tomorrow for a black-tie celebration of cities -- which many of them are confident will receive new federal attention when Bill Clinton becomes president.Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke and the U.S. Conference of Mayors say they organized the gala because they expect urban issues to return to the top of the national agenda with the inauguration of Mr. Clinton Wednesday."It is a chance to come together at a time of great hope in our country," Mr. Schmoke said.

This year's Celebration of the Arts in Howard County is a real hometown affair. Now in its fourth year, the event serves as a major fund-raiser for the Howard County Arts Council, which uses the money for grants and outreach. So it seems fitting that this year's gala will feature a performance by the Capitol Steps musical comedy troupe, which has some members who got their start in Columbia. "The people in Columbia are very arts-oriented," said troupe member Michael Tilford, " a former member of Young Columbians Community Theater.

Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke is planning a huge pre-inaugural gala with guests including mayors from around the country and -- organizers hope -- President-elect Bill Clinton.The black-tie event is scheduled for Jan. 18 -- two days before Mr. Clinton's Inauguration -- at the Baltimore Convention Center and is expected to draw at least 1,000 guests.With the party, the mayor hopes to keep the plight of cities on the nation's front burner and to highlight the charms of Baltimore."A friend of cities has been elected president of the United States," said Larry S. Gibson, chairman of Mr. Schmoke's political committee and coordinator of Mr. Clinton's Maryland campaign.

Last weekend was a social whirlwind. First stop was Stouffer's where "Gala '92, Miracles on Charles Street," a black-tie dinner dance to benefit the Cancer Center at GBMC was held. The gala was chaired by Carroll Knott, who was there with her husband, Jimmy, and several tables filled with Knotts and friends. The event honored the hospital's five former chiefs of staff -- Dr. John E. Savage, Dr. Everett S. Diggs, Dr. Melchijah Spragins, Dr. John M. McGovern and Dr. Alfred T. Nelson. The hospital's current chief of staff, Dr. L. Myrton Gaines, and his wife, Sandi, held forth at their table, before Dr. Gaines feted his predecessors with eloquent remarks.

Talk about your day of judgment. Minutes after Marin Alsop and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra wrapped up a high-octane gala program Saturday night -- a program that included the fire-and-brimstone Dies Irae from Giuseppe Verdi's Requiem -- a propane tank exploded alongside the party tent across the street from Meyerhoff Hall, interrupting the dessert reception for patrons. Luckily, a timely warning got everyone out before the eruption. Not the best possible capstone to the occasion, which grossed $900,000 and drew a large and clearly happy audience.

SEMI-FORMAL and nautical attire on the S.O.S. Gala invitation brought out an array of blue blazers, Bermuda shorts, tuxedos, and glittery sequins. The party Saturday night was a hit and raised lots of money ($200,000) for the Lady Maryland Maritime Institute, a group that will oversee the restoration of the last 25 Maryland skipjacks. Stouffer Harborplace Hotel kept the theme nautical and served a popular buffet with an array of tasty seafood dishes.Dennis O'Brien, Lady Maryland president, and his wife, Linda, held forth greeting two tables of Maryland waterman who were happy about the interest in the skipjacks.

WASHINGTON - Bill Clinton received an elegant bash with Barbra Streisand. The senior George Bush enjoyed a lavish soiree with Frank Sinatra. The new Bush administration? It gets a party with cattle standing around a ballroom. After delays caused by the election dispute, the Presidential Inaugural Committee's star-studded gala - a fancy affair traditionally held the night before the presidential swearing-in - has been canceled for the first time in memory. So now President-elect George W. Bush is left with just the "Black Tie and Boots" ball, a party that the Texas State Society sponsors at every inauguration.