A Day in the Life of Adrienne Arsht

When going to galas at Lincoln Center, Arsht uses the Trump Hotel town car

	When in Manhattan, Arsht prefers walking
	At a black-tie event at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
	Micro-desserts, Arsht’s favorite treat, are a major trend according to The New York Times

When you think of a grande dame patron of the arts—a philanthropist who supports theaters, orchestras, and dance troupes—you might imagine an elegant lady who lives a rather serene but wonderful life. In many regards, Adrienne Arsht fits that description to the letter, but in many others, it couldn’t be further from the truth.

Chairman of this year’s Metropolitan Opera New Year’s Eve gala, where The Enchanted Island—a whimsical production that combines characters from A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Tempest—will have its world premiere, Arsht has been involved with all aspects of the evening including the planning (and sampling) of her favorite dinner course—dessert.

But this is just one of her philanthropic endeavors. She is also a member of the board of directors for Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and the Metropolitan Opera. Arsht lives in Washington, DC, where she serves as treasurer of the board of trustees of the Kennedy Center, and has two homes in Miami, where she is the namesake of the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami Dade County.

While in New York, she stays at the Trump Hotel on Central Park West, to be within walking distance of her beloved Lincoln Center. It’s no surprise that this exuberant woman claims, as she hops the Acela between Manhattan and DC, “When I find my desk, I’m going to sit at it!”

6:30 AM
I wake up at 6:30 AM, even on weekends. My grandmother said only the innocent can sleep; in my last incarnation, I must have been very wicked. I’ve just returned to New York after a weekend spent in Washington, DC, for the Mark Twain Awards at the Kennedy Center, then my hometown of Wilmington to receive an award from The Delaware Community Foundation on behalf of my family and our statewide contributions; Vice President Joe Biden, who has been a family friend for years, presented the award to me.

7:30 AM
Attend the Breakfast Dialogues at the David Rubenstein Atrium. The program was created by Reynold Levy, the president of Lincoln Center, and is moderated by Tom Brokaw.

12 NOON
I have a lot of my meals at Jean Georges and Nougatine, which is a gathering place for people from Lincoln Center, Met Opera, and Alvin Ailey as well as financial moguls. It’s starting to feel like my dining room.

2 PM
Take in a matinée of Follies, which originated at the Kennedy Center; I am one of the producers.

5 PM
Head to a tasting to plan the menu for the New Year’s Eve gala at the Metropolitan Opera; this year they’ve created a new opera to be performed, The Enchanted Island. Placido Domingo will be singing Neptune, and the music includes works by Handel, Rameau, and Vivaldi. I have a pillow that says LIFE IS UNCERTAIN, EAT DESSERT FIRST, so it’s no surprise desserts are my favorite. We’re doing five or six micro-desserts—a bite of ice cream sundae, peanut butter cup, éclair, a truffle with a brandied cherry. At midnight we have fireworks on the Plaza and so much confetti that last year, it took nine months to pick it all up.

7 PM
Prepare for a black-tie opening of the Arab Lands Galleries at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

10 PM
I stay at the Trump at Columbus Circle, as I always do. They know me so well there, they say, “Welcome home!” when I arrive. When they leave me chocolates, they know the only ones I will eat are chocolate-covered Oreos, so they leave a few extra just for me.

11 PM
I don’t really get tired until between 11 PM and 1 AM. I send out all these e-mails, then wake up at 3 AM, check my BlackBerry, send out more e-mails, then go back to sleep. For a while. Maybe.