On the first day of spring, with snow still on the ground, mobsters and flappers arrived at Hempstead House, the former mansion of the Guggenheim family. Dressed in a tuxedo, the butler welcomed the guests and ushered them into the palm court for drinks while fireplaces crackled and glowed, illuminating the magnificent rooms of the gold coast mansion. Jean Marie Posner, executive director of the Sands Point Preserve, looking fetching in a black fascinator and a flapper dress, discussed what the event was all about. “This is about a special Gatsby dinner party and tonight we are guests of Daniel and Florence Guggenheim and have the opportunity to meet his family, Barbara and Meyer Guggenheim. This is a first for us because we have never had any kind of interactive type of theater before. We thought this was the perfect setting. We have the perfect house, rooms that really speak about the Gatsby era and people always enjoy coming here for some kind of event. So we thought, let’s create some kind of a party and let’s make it a Gatsby party at the Guggenheim.” More than l30 people attended the event and they were entertained by a wonderful theater group from Tiger/Fried productions out of Northport. While guests mingled, sipping cocktails and tasting hors
d’oeuvres, actors sang popular songs from the l920s. Throughout the night, the actors changed costumes and took the audience time traveling with music from the ’20s, ’30s and ’40s. Posner was pleased with the turnout and the event. “We have given everyone a book of songs so they can join in the sing a long and the actors have studied up on the history and the family.
The house was built in 1917, and after the Guggenheim family moved on, the house fell into disrepair. The friends of Sands Point Preserve took the house over in 2010 and have worked tirelessly to restore it. Through the hard work of Posner and the board of directors and volunteers, they have transformed this grand house back to its original grandeur and each year have brought more exciting events to the home and the preserve. “We hope that this is going to turn into an annual Gatsby party. This is the first time we are doing it and all of our events are really considered fundraisers. Our big gala is coming up on May 23, when we travel to India. The Gala will be called Jewels of India, honoring Ashima and Mike Narula,” commented Posner.
Nassau County Legislator DeliaDeRiggi-Whitton of the 11th district felt like she was coming home, “I actually used to live on this preserve 25 years ago. I was right out of college and my roommate worked for the county so we rented a home on the grounds, which was the Guggenheim laundry home that was converted into three town houses. I had a little dog and used to walk him down by the beach. The Clydesdale horses were here and they were training them about fireworks so they wouldn’t get scared. I was here right after the Navy was here. It takes people like Jean Marie Posner and other members of the board to have the heart, the drive and the desire to preserve the house the way it deserves to be.”
Helen Tiger and JoAnn Fried were the coproducers of the show. Tiger Productions has been formed recently, although they have been doing shows for decades. “It is a dream to be able to do a show in this setting,” Tiger said. The guests thoroughly enjoyed interacting with the actors and singing along.
After the sing-a-long, guests were called to dinner by a bell and sat at small tables through the house and each had a bottle of “Guggenheim wine”. The “Guggenheims greeted guests personally at each table as they dined on selections of fish, chicken and risotto. Warming themselves by the fire, guests commented on the newly restored rooms and crystal chandeliers throughout the home. Then it was back for more
entertainment as guests traveled from the bootleg era to boogie woogie era of WWII, after which there was another break for desserts and coffee and tea. Then guests
were entertained once again to songs from the 40s. By midnight,
when the last glass of wine was drunk, and the last chocolate mousse was eaten, the Guggenheims said good night to each guest in the grand hallway and closed the massive doors on another exciting night at the Hempstead House.
To learn more about upcoming events, go to Friends of Sands Point Preserve. The extensive grounds on the water are home to a castle and a Gold Coast mansion. Events include children’s programs, film, music, and cultural events. The preserve is located at 127 Middle Neck Road in Sands Point and the phone number is 516-571-7901.
