By Evelyn Cairns
The spotlight will shine on five debutantes, a guest of honor and two scholarship winners Feb. 4 when the Hungarian Arts Club sponsors it 54th anniversary White Rose Ball.
Guests will gather at 6:30 p.m. at the Dearborn Inn for a reception to be followed by dinner and the opening of the ball with the Palotas, a Hungarian court dance.
Making their bows to society in floor-length white ball gowns will be Jessica Standish of Allen Park, Sabine Hutter of Plymouth, Rosalind Duma of Howell, Rachel Cyranski of New Baltimore and Rachel Given of Fort Wayne, Ind.
Their respective escorts will be Nico Vickers of Dearborn Heights, John Bujdoso of Trenton, Patrick Albrent of Howell, Jacob Davis of Davison and Garrison Given of Clinton Township.
Receiving accolades as the honored guest will be Darlene Szatmari of Grosse Ile, who is being recognized for devoting her time, energy and talents to keep the Hungarian Culture alive.
Scholarships will be presented to Frank Asztalos of Orchard Lake and Jill Sabo of Adrian.
Szatmari, co-owner with her husband, Steve, and daughter, Jennifer Sullivan of the Rhapsody restaurant in Southgate, grew up in the city and graduated from Schafer High School, where she played the clarinet in the school band.
Selected as a member of the All Student Band USA, she traveled throughout Europe and performed for Princess Grade of Monaco. After graduation, the honoree attended Elmhurst (Ill.) College.
She met her husband while on a family vacation in Hungary. They worked together managing the William Penn Hungarian Club in Lincoln Park for 17 years, and then in 1993 fulfilled a dream of opening the Rhapsody, which is considered one of the most successful Hungarian eateries outside of Hungary.
A baker extraordinaire, the honoree is known for her pastries, desserts and designer wedding cakes. A former president of the Branch 18 William Penn Ladies’ Auxiliary and a founder and former director of the William Penn Hungarian Dancers, she is recognized for the many fund-raisers she spearheaded for the Penn organization.
Tickets for the ball, $65, are available by calling 734-459-5253 or emailing [email protected] The reservations deadline is Jan. 20. Formal attire is requested.
Coming up . . .
Jan. 22 — Winter market offering fresh specialty foods, produce and craft items; 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Ikaros Hall, 1677 Fort. St., Lincoln Park.
Jan. 17 – 22 — Detroit premiere of Tony Award-winning musical “American Idiot,” featuring the music of Green Day; at the Detroit Opera House; tickets are $25 to $75; for additional information, call 313-872-1000 or go to www.BroadwayinDetroit.com.
Jan. 19 – March 3 — Downriver Council for the Arts exhibit by artist Judy Enright of large-scale oil paintings inspired by playing cards with a game or sport incorporated in the work; at the Wyandotte Arts Center; 81 Chestnut; opening reception, 6 to 8 p.m. Jan 19 with no charge.
Jan. 19 — Trivia Challenge; benefit for The Information Center; dinner at 6 p.m., game from 7 to 9 p.m.; at the Westfield Center; 2700 Westfield, Tren-ton; $20 includes light fare and soft drinks; for reservations, call 734-282-7171 or go to www.theinforcenter.info.
Jan. 24 – Feb. 5 — Detroit premiere of Tony Award-winning musical “Million Dollar Quartet”; based on a twist of fate that brought Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley together; at the Fisher Theatre; tickets are $29 to $79; for more infor-mation, call 313-872-1000 or go to www.BroadwayinDetroit.com.
Feb. 11 — Downriver Council for the Arts Euchre Tournament; 1 to 5 p.m. at the Wyandotte Arts Center, 81 Chestnut; refreshments and cash prizes; pro-ceeds to the DCA Art Galleries; for more information, call 734-720-0671 or go to www.downriverarts.org.