Haute 100 New York Update: Woody Allen

Our Haute 100 list details the accomplishments of the most influential people in each of our markets—Miami, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. These people continue to make moves, so rather than waiting for the next Haute 100 issue to come out, we thought we’d provide you with regular updates on those Haute 100 members who are making headlines. On our Haute 100 New York list is Woody Allen, the director, actor, and musician who has built a successful career in the arts by enrapturing audiences worldwide.

Woody Allen

Category: Thinkers

Industry: Film

What Made Him Haute: New York’s greatest auteur always presents his beloved Big Apple in a sophisticated and romanticized way. His film Vicky Christina Barcelona, which was released in August 2008, won the 2009 Spirit Award for Best Screenplay. A jazz clarinetist for more than 25 years, Allen made his operatic debut directing a new production for the opening of the L.A. Opera’s 2008-2009 season.

What Makes Him Haute Now: Always providing audiences with his witty insight, Woody Allen’s distinctive films are often celebrated for their ability to blend dark humor with drama and sophistication. Allen’s most recent film, You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger, starring Naomi Watts, Josh Brolin, and Freida Pinto, debuted in Cannes in May 2010, and his next project, Midnight in Paris, will star a number of Hollywood big names and an appearance by the French First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy. As an individual with an inspiring passion for jazz, Allen has dazzled audiences as a clarinetist for film soundtracks. Recently, the Montreal Jazz Festival hosted a show with Allen and his band. Allen has also enjoyed a favorable theater career, and his most recent work, directing the opera Gianni Schicchi by Puccini, debuted in the Festival of Two Worlds in Italy.