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Mazel Top This

When Dad's got too much cash, turning 13 can be a seven-figure affair. Here’s a sampling of the past year's most extravagant bar and bat mitzvahs.

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Renee Schondorf celebrates on the rooftop of the Rainbow Room.

The Birthday Boy: Mark Chaplin.
Who’s Your Daddy? Wayne Chaplin, president and C.O.O. of Southern Wine & Spirits of America, the country’s largest distributor of alcoholic beverages. Wayne and his father, Harvey—Southern Wine’s chairman and C.E.O.—helm this approximately $6.5 billion company.
The Date: February 3, 2007.

Snoop sings for Mark Chaplin
Photograph by Scott Gries
The Theme: “Super Ball,” in honor of the Super Bowl, which was held the same weekend. Gridiron entertainers included Miami Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor and linebacker Zach Thomas signing autographs and ­posing for pictures.
The Place: InterContinental Miami Hotel. The Chaplins’ 366 guests filled the ballroom, where tables were set up to look like football fields and chair backs were covered to resemble footballs.
Who Rocked? Rapper Snoop Dogg ­performed for an estimated $300,000. Ex-Dolphins Jimmy Cefalo of WPLG and Joe Rose of WTVJ emceed.
The Tab: An estimated $1.4 million.

The Birthday Girl: Charlotte Kassimir.
Who’s Your Daddy? Joel Kassimir, M.D., a New York hair replacement specialist and dermatologist, whose clients have included the late socialite Nan Kempner.

Liza Minnelli entertains Charlotte Kassimir
Photograph by Corrado Giambalvo
The Date: November 11, 2006.
The Theme: “A Celebration of Charlotte,” complete with multiple 4-by-5-foot blowup photographs of the bat mitzvah girl posing like a model.
The Place: Popular New York nightspot Marquee, redecorated by Ed Libby & Co. with a garden’s worth of orchids, roses, and hydrangeas, plus thousands of pink and white Swarovski crystals—some of which guests pocketed as souvenirs.
Who Rocked? Family friend Liza Minnelli performed­—gratis—songs such as “New York, New York,” “Liza With a Z,” and, with Charlotte on her knee, “Cabaret.”
The Guest List: Broadway producer Marty Richards and actress Kim Cattrall, who appeared via satellite from London. Argentine president Néstor Kirchner couldn’t make it, but he sent tango dancers and a six-man band in his stead.
The Tab: An estimated $1.3 million.

Photograph by Fred Marcus Photography

The Birthday Girl: Renee Schondorf.
Who’s Your Daddy? Jeff Schondorf, an oil trader for MBF Clearing.
The Date: December 2, 2006.
The Theme: “Renee Takes New York,” inspired by the video for Christina Aguilera’s “Ain’t No Other Man.”
The Place: The Rainbow Room in New York, transformed by Chéz-zam Entertainment Group into a 1940s supper club, complete with a 50-piece marching band. Guests were greeted by ushers proffering flutes of champagne and mini-tubs of caviar.
Who Rocked? Cast members from Dancing With the Stars re-created the Aguilera video.
The Tab: An estimated $1 million.


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