Tag: 5480

Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe: N’Kenge and Prince Mario-Max to Co-Host Star-Studded Viva Italia Masquerade Gala in NYC

New York’s cultural calendar has a new crown jewel. On June 12, 2026, the N’Kenge Foundation presents the Viva Italia Masquerade Gala — an evening of artistry, philanthropy, and celebration co-hosted by acclaimed artist N’Kenge and H.H. Dr. Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe.

The gala supports the foundation’s mission of educating, inspiring, and uplifting young artists, and the lineup reflects that ambition at every level: Broadway stars, television favorites, opera singers, honorees from the worlds of education and entertainment, and a national talent competition — all wrapped in the elegance of a Venetian-style masquerade.

A Lineup Across the Arts

The evening’s performers and guests span the performing arts world. Michael James Scott — beloved as the Genie in Disney’s Aladdin on Broadway — brings theatrical star power, while Hisham Tawfiq, known to millions from NBC’s The Blacklist, adds television prestige.

Opera is beautifully represented by Grammy-nominated singer Kenneithia M. Mitchell and Metropolitan Opera artist Jahzara Martina. Broadway’s Thayne Jasperson of Hamilton fame joins the celebration, as does Yoann FreeJay, winner of The Voice France, underscoring the gala’s international reach.

Honoring Excellence, Launching Futures

The evening honors Rain Pryor — celebrated for Head of the Class and her wider contributions to the arts — alongside Antoinette Quarshie, Dean of Riverdale Country School, recognized for her leadership in arts education. Peter Avery of New York City Public Schools will also be part of the festivities, highlighting the gala’s commitment to youth mentorship.

One of the night’s most anticipated moments is the Showstopper Competition, a national showcase for exceptional emerging performers. Mia Sanchez, the 2025 Showstopper winner and American Idol standout, embodies exactly the kind of artistic journey the foundation exists to support.

A silent and live auction will drive the evening’s fundraising, fueling educational programs that give talented young people real pathways into the arts. With N’Kenge and Prince Mario-Max leading a lineup that bridges Broadway, television, opera, and education, the Viva Italia Masquerade Gala is set to be one of the season’s defining nights — where masks, music, and mission come together beautifully.

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Originally published on Times Square Chronicles.

Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe: A Night to Remember: N’Kenge Dazzles at Vladislav Doronin’s Aman Jazz Club

Oh, what a night.

Music star N’Kenge took the stage at Vladislav Doronin’s Aman Hotel, performing before a royal crowd in the property’s celebrated jazz club. Publisher Suzanna Bowling and H.H. Dr. Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe were there in person to support what turned out to be a spectacular show.

The evening carried an extra emotional note for Prince Mario-Max. “The Sound of Music felt like a tribute to my childhood home Austria,” he said. “I grew up in Salzburg — my mother is an Austrian princess who married a German-Danish prince, my father. Many nostalgic feelings hearing the sound of music.”

The Aman drew a wonderful crowd of music lovers, and a select few couldn’t resist the dance floor when N’Kenge’s jazz hits filled the room — including N’Kenge herself, who joined the Royal Prince for a turn among the dancers. It was the kind of unscripted moment that makes live music unforgettable.

With nights like this, the Aman continues to establish itself as a New York nightlife institution, and Doronin deserves credit for building a hotel and jazz club with genuine soul. New York is back in full swing — and on this night, it swung.

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Originally published on Times Square Chronicles.

Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe: N’Kenge Brings Timeless Glamour to the Jazz Club at Aman on May 29

Some rooms are built for jazz. On May 29, from 9 to 11 PM, the Jazz Club at Aman becomes one of them — with N’Kenge and her All Star Band at its center.

The evening promises more than a concert: a portrait of contemporary jazz culture at its most refined, where artistry, hospitality, and personal style move together. The promotional portrait says it all — N’Kenge composed and confident against a warm, low-lit backdrop, sequined embroidery catching the light, every detail suggesting sophistication without spectacle.

The Room Where Jazz Lives

The Jazz Club at Aman has become one of the most distinctive luxury music venues in the city — intimate, discreet, designed for listening. Rather than treating jazz as nostalgia, the room presents it as a living language: restrained design, warm lighting, and close proximity between artists and audience, so every phrase lands exactly as intended.

N’Kenge fits that philosophy perfectly. Her reputation rests on vocal precision, commanding presence, and classic performance traditions viewed through a modern lens — glamour with substance, elegance with warmth.

An All Star Band

She won’t be alone on stage. The All Star Band brings serious firepower: Paul Shin on piano, providing the melodic sophistication that anchors the ensemble; Lonnie Plaxico on bass, grounding every improvisation; James Gibbs III on trumpet, adding brightness and dramatic contour; and Chris Paredes on drums, shaping the evening’s movement with rhythmic finesse.

In a room this intimate, those details become the whole experience — phrasing and tonal shifts you’d never catch in a larger hall, the architectural resonance of upright bass, the conversation between trumpet and voice.

An Evening, Curated

The 9 PM start follows the natural rhythm of cosmopolitan nightlife — dinner and conversation flowing into music without interruption. RSVP reservations keep the atmosphere attentive and the occasion distinct.

For admirers like H.H. Dr. Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe, the appeal is clear: artists who command both visual and musical attention in intimate spaces are rare, and evenings this carefully composed linger in memory. Through music, design, and hospitality, May 29 at the Jazz Club at Aman offers a modern vision of refined nightlife — proof that jazz, presented with care, never goes out of style.

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Originally published on Times Square Chronicles.

Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe: Viva Italia: N’Kenge’s Masquerade Gala at The Players

On June 12, 2026, a Venetian carnival is coming to Gramercy Park. Viva Italia! — the Showstopper Finale and Masquerade Gala presented by N’Kenge — will transform The Players, the National Historic Landmark mansion at 16 Gramercy Park South once associated with Edwin Booth, into an immersive Italian-inspired celebration of music, philanthropy, and theatrical glamour.

H.H. Dr. Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe will host the evening, which he has already declared N’Kenge’s event of the year. The invitation sets the register immediately: crimson fabrics, gold masquerade masks, candlelight, Venetian canals — timeless European glamour aimed squarely at New York’s appetite for experiential luxury with a social purpose.

An evening in three acts

The night opens at 6:00 p.m. with a VIP reception — cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and the mingling of entertainment figures, philanthropists, and Broadway personalities. At 6:45, guests embark on a guided private tour of the historic mansion, one of Manhattan’s most storied cultural residences. Then at 7:30 p.m., the Masquerade Gala itself begins: dinner, concert, and celebration.

Woven through the evening is the national Showstopper talent competition. Finalists from across the country will compete live for the title of Showstopper of the Year before celebrity judges — and the grand prize is extraordinary: an all-expenses-paid trip to the Ultimate International Performing Arts Summer Program in Italy, connecting the evening’s Italian theme directly to real artistic development for emerging talent.

Honorees and heart

The evening will recognize Hisham Tawfiq, Rain Pryor, Michael James Scott, and Antoinette Quarshie for their contributions across entertainment and advocacy — a lineup that bridges Broadway, television, and cultural leadership.

Proceeds support the N’Kenge Foundation’s mission to educate, empower, and inspire the next generation through the arts. Sponsorships ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 open the evening to a broad circle of supporters. Masks are encouraged but optional, with a limited number available at the door.

As the organizers put it: “Celebrate Italy. Celebrate the Stars.” Inside the landmark walls of The Players, Viva Italia! is shaping up to be one of the defining cultural and philanthropic nights of the season.

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Originally published on Times Square Chronicles.

Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe: N’Kenge Commands Times Square at the 2026 Music Will Benefit

The sixth floor of the Marriott Marquis, 1535 Broadway, became the center of the music universe. On benefit night, N’Kenge — the reigning queen of the stage — took over as emcee and featured talent of the 2026 Music Will Benefit, presented by Gregory and Carolyn Hall, turning Times Square into a cathedral for music education.

Guests entered through a 6 p.m. red carpet reception into an evening where Broadway polish met genuine mission. Music Will, now in its twenty-third year, has reached some 1.8 million students across America with music instruction — and aims to impact 11 million students annually by 2029. CEO Mike Wasserman, described by N’Kenge and N’Kenge Foundation board member Anzhelika Steen-Olsen as a man on a mission for kids, has steered that remarkable growth.

A room full of legends

The honorees set the tone: legendary producer T Bone Burnett, whose influence spans generations of American music, and Bruce Eskowitz, recognized for leadership in cultural and philanthropic advancement. Honorary Benefit Chair Wyclef Jean brought global artistry and humanitarian perspective.

The talent roster read like a festival lineup: Maren Morris, Master P, Yola, Lachi, Nile Rodgers, Fabrice DuPont, Elvis Costello — musicians spanning genres and generations — alongside film world luminaries Joel Coen, Frances McDormand, Oscar Isaac, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard, and Elvira Lind. N’Kenge guided it all with elegance and authority, her commanding presence stitching performances, tributes, and fundraising moments into one flowing evening. Her talented singer daughter watched from the audience as the room rose in standing ovations.

The auction and the heart

The live auction delivered serious electricity: a private Concord Nashville Studios recording experience with a mastering session led by seven-time Grammy winner Paul Blakemore; a custom Gibson guitar package with factory tour and a luxury Nashville retreat for ten; and a private culinary experience with Chef Philippe Bertineau of Restaurant Daniel, Alain Ducasse, and The Polo Bar pedigree.

But the emotional center belonged to the student musicians. Their performances — direct evidence of what access to music education makes possible — grounded the glamour in purpose. In a room of icons, the kids reminded everyone why the icons had come.

Under the lights of Times Square, the 2026 Music Will Benefit became more than a fundraiser: a national statement about the value of music education and the shared responsibility to protect creative opportunity for the next generation. (To support the mission directly: musicwill.org/donate.)

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Originally published on Times Square Chronicles.