On Monday night in Midtown Manhattan, Neil Patrick Harris, Nicky Hilton Rothschild and Michael Kors danced in their seats, as J. Harrison Ghee, the Broadway actor, sang Aretha Franklin’s classic “Freeway of Love.”
Ghee’s performance opened the 17th annual Golden Heart Awards, the major fall fund-raiser for God’s Love We Deliver, an organization that provides medically tailored meals to New Yorkers affected by severe illness, which was founded in 1986 during the AIDS epidemic.
“I think that we have to honor, and make noise about, organizations that can cut through the noise and make a difference,” said Mr. Kors, a co-chair of the event and a board member of the organization.
The evening honored the Broadway star Ben Platt for excellence in the arts and the actress Scarlett Johansson for philanthropy and activism.
The gala, held at the Glasshouse event space that overlooks the Hudson River, drew about 800 people and raised more than $3.5 million. The space was decorated with tropical plants to resemble the restaurant Indochine, which provided some of the food. Attendees included the actors Christopher Jackson, Julianna Margulies and Beanie Feldstein; Huma Abedin, an event co-chair, author and longtime aide to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton; and Blaine Trump, an event co-chair, who was married to Robert Trump, a late brother of former President Donald J. Trump.
While presenting Mr. Platt with his award, Cynthia Erivo reminisced about when they would meet between matinee performances of “Dear Evan Hanson” and “The Color Purple” on Broadway. Ms. Erivo said that Mr. Platt always made room for her, “even when he was exhausted, just to be there.”
In tribute to Ms. Johansson, Rupert Friend, who recently appeared with the actress in Wes Anderson’s film “Asteroid City,” said that she made him feel “seen and heard from the get-go.”
He continued: “I’m probably the only person in this room, I’m going to guess, who has ever been in a movie with Scarlett Johansson.”
“That’s not true. That’s not true at all,” a voice shouted from the crowd, as the actor Matt Damon, in a surprise appearance, walked between tables topped with greenery.
“We bought a zoo together years ago,” Mr. Damon said, referencing the 2011 film “We Bought a Zoo,” in which he starred alongside Ms. Johansson.
The night wound down quickly with a performance from Mary J. Blige, another surprise, as attendees were still digging into their dinner of beef fillets.
“We’d like to try and get people out of here by 10,” Ms. Trump, who has been involved with the organization since the 1980s, explained in an interview. “So, you know, we’re working on it.”
Below, see photos from events in New York City this week.
Ziwe’s Book Party at The Standard
On Tuesday night, at The Standard, East Village, a small group of friends gathered at the hotel to celebrate the release of “Black Friend,” a debut collection of personal essays from Ziwe Fumudoh, a comedian known for her late-night comedy show on Showtime.
Ziwe, who goes by her first name, said she saw the book as an expansion of her work. “I have my hand in multiple pots, like a little octopus,” she said.
The rooftop space, painted in white and decorated with gray couches and tables, differed from the bright pink and “feminine-with-a-wink” aesthetic often associated with the comedian.
“I found writing a book to be really difficult,” Ziwe said, explaining she had to ground herself during bouts of writer’s block.
”I can’t expect every person to connect every single story, but if they can connect to one, that’s great,” she said.
Her friend Emily Ratajkowski, a model and writer who published a collection of essays in 2021, said that she sent Ziwe a text to enjoy her publication day, just as friends had reminded her two years ago.
About 50 guests, which included Brynn Whitfield and Jessel Taank, cast members of “The Real Housewives of New York City,” and the director and comedian Dan Perlman, crowded around a singular bar tucked in a corner of a sprawling balcony overlooking Manhattan.
Ziwe and Ms. Ratajkowski took turns taking photos of each other posing on the balcony with its sweeping view of the city; later, Ziwe took selfies with Jaboukie Young-White, the writer and comedian, in the elevator.
“Our friend wrote a book!” said Jen Goma, an entertainer, who met Ziwe years ago. “There is something about our small circle rising up — and it is a celebration.”
