|
|
 |
 |
|
New York City Opera
Spring Gala |
|
|
The David H. Koch Theater Promenade.
|
 |
New York City Opera celebrated the opening of its 2010 Spring Season with a gala performance of Chabrier’s L’Étoile on Thursday, March 18. The performance was followed by a grand evening of dinner and waltzing to music performed by the New York City Opera Orchestra on the Promenade of the David H. Koch Theater. This glamorous evening showcased formal attire, opera gloves and white-tie.
Emmanuel Chabrier’s ingenious L’Étoile is a lively opéra bouffe about disguises and mistaken identities. Acclaimed City Opera director Mark Lamos creates a witty, stylish production inspired by Toulouse Lautrec to tell the story of a madcap king, an astrologer, and a hapless peddler. The cast features the great French tenor Jean-Paul Fouchécourt and the debuts of bourgeoning artists Julie Boulianne, Liza Forrester, and William Ferguson. The revival is also notable for the return of the internationally renowned French conductor Emmanuel Plasson.
The Spring Gala honored City Opera’s devoted chairman Susan L. Baker for her outstanding dedication to the company in this role, her strong leadership through challenging times, and for her great friendship to the Opera as both ardent advocate and generous supporter. Kate D. Levin, the City of New York Commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs, along with Mark Newhouse, president of the New York City Opera Board, both gave speeches about Ms. Baker’s leadership and dedication to City Opera.
The Spring Gala raised over $1,000,000. All proceeds from the Gala support City Opera’s mission to create innovative productions of new and classic work, reach a wide audience with affordable ticket prices, and bring music into the lives of thousands of students each year through its acclaimed education programs in New York City public schools.
The Gala co-chairmen were Jennie and Richard Descherer, Mark and Lorry Newhouse, Grant and Jacqui Smith, Herbert M. Watchtell and Sue Ann Weinberg.
Notable attendees included: Claude Arpels and Winsome Brown, Anne Bass, Susan L. Baker (Honorary Chairman, Chairman of the Board) and Michael Lynch, The Honorable Gale A. Brewer, Vinson Cole (American Operatic Tenor), Jennie and Richard Descherer, Brooke Hayward Duchin, Bobby Flay (Chef) and Stephanie March (Law and Order), Edmée and Nicholas Firth, Effie and Robert Fribourg, Joan Granlund, Princess Alexandra of Greece and Nicolas Mirzayantz, Karen and Kevin Kennedy, Arie and Coco Kopelman, Helen Little, Gillian and Sylvester Miniter, Anne Murdoch Mann and Willam Mann, Kate D. Levin (Cultural Affairs Commissioner of New York), Bill Rondina and Giovanni Foroni LoFaro, Mark and Lorry Newhouse, Elaine Leopold Sargent, Grant and Jacqui Smith, George Steel (General Manager and Artistic Director) and Sarah Fels Steel, The Honorable James G. Van Bramer, Herbert and Svetlana Wachtell, Shen Wei (Artistic Director and Principal Choreographer of 2008 Beijing Olympics), Sue Ann Weinberg, Robert Verdi.
|
Princess Alexandra of Greece and honoree Susan Baker.
|
|
Lorry Newhouse, Britten Heft.
|
Sarah Steel, City Opera General Manager George Steel, Lynn Loacker, Vinson Cole.
|
City Opera president Mark Newhouse, Bill De Blasio, Jonathan Sheffer.
|
|
Coco Kopelman, Michael Lynch.
|
Herbert Wachtell, Svetlana Wachtell, Gillian Miniter, Sylvester Miniter.
|
Anne Bass, Julian Lethbridge.
|
|
Stephanie March and Bobby Flay.
|
Jacqui Smith, Carlo Lamagna, Linda Hefner, Grant Smith, Donna Straat, Angela King.
|
Patrick Daughtry, EV Day, Ted Lee.
|
|
Karen Koch, Jay Marshall, Mary Beth Marshall.
|
John Stokes, Alloe Stokes, Allen Roberts, Heidi Roberts.
|
Annika Connor.
|
|
Dawne Marie Grannum.
|
Tim Taylor, Robert Verdi.
|
|
Susan Baker, George Steel.
|
Bonnie Wang, Cherie Alcoff.
|
|
Susan Baker, Edmee_Firth.
|
Gemma Arnold, Kamil Nieroda during their Waltz Performance.
|
| Photos:
Patrick McMullan |
|
|
|
|
