A Towering Extravaganza at the Carnegie Abbey Club

Roger & Cindy Sherman with Adam Liebman

A 20-foot high outline of John Travolta dancing disco, lasered onto The Tower at Carnegie Abbey? The best disco band since Earth, Wind & Fire? Nymphs splashing in the pool, massages, a hot tub, and hand-rolled cigars?

By now you’ve guessed it. Brian O’Neill, (a combination of Billy Rose and P.T. Barnum when not developing luxury properties), owner of The Carnegie Abbey Club and builder of The Tower, threw a party recently. And over 400 people came, danced, drank specialty drinks and dined on fabulous food in the shadow of the imposing Tower, the tallest waterfront structure between Washington, D.C. and Maine. But for Mr. O’Neill, it served as a giant projection screen for entertaining his guests.

Welcomer with Bridget Vezina, Miss USA &

James Leach

Spared by the recent Hurricane Earl, the soft night was perfect for the event, in honor of the 10th anniversary of the founding of Carnegie Abbey, and the first of The Tower’s opening. Quite the splash.

Seen by Newport Seen were celebrity designer Ally Coulter (whose cabana
design has not been equaled), Avery Dimmig of Badgley Mishka, Tower neighbors Dr. James and Margaret Nolan. Visitors from Massachusetts, Linda and Vic Jonas, Miriam O’Neill and daughter Laurencia were on hand, as were David and Diane Piccoli, Christopher Klein of West Point with Blake and Melanie Henderson, Harriet Granoff, Jim Leach of Malbone House with Bridget Vezina, Miss USA 2000, John and M'Liz Begg, designer Sharon Cameron Lawn, and Annabelle Harris. Melanie Delman laughed with Geer Messinger, Robin Nicholson, Tom Denniston, and Catherine Gazder.