George Chammas, Dolly Chammas - Photo by Drew Altizer Photography
Well, fairy tales do come true, and the young-at-heart who donned their Wednesday and Friday best for the Symphony and Opera openings were rewarded with musical performances of rare measure. From the first reedy tuning note to the final encores, both of our world-class musical ensembles were able to dazzle and delight the decked-out denizens of our fair city and beyond. For all of their devotion and ducats, patrons of both opening nights were treated to two magical evenings that unfolded in storybook splendor.
Wednesday night’s Symphony opening began with a parade of the emperor and empress’ new clothes, which were anything but imaginary. Amidst the meeting and greeting, friends’ compared vacation venues and perused gowns and gems with enthusiasm. Color was everywhere, and dresses were evenly divided between curvaceous columns and big ball skirts, but the real show was in what was revealed: toned and tanned arms and abs, equal parts Tahoe and trainer, were the impressive norm. While more women admitted to shopping their closet than in years past, the prevalent look was one of polished glamour, regardless of the provenance. Some standouts:
Amy Tan’s Issey Miyake and elegant jade necklace looked serene, as did Juliet de Baubigny in Schiaparelli-pink Andrew Gn. Norah Stone shone in a tulle-and-beaded Oscar with scarlet lips to match. Her husband Norman’s dazzling leopard tuxedo pumps held their own against the many Manolos marching up the marble. Oscar also hit the right note with Marissa Mayer’s mustard yellow and black ball gown and Yurie Pascarella’s floral mermaid gown, while Marcia Goldman’s vibrant blue column looked elegant and at ease. Delia Ehrlich recalled the opening after her debut when she was prohibited by her parents from divulging the price of her Balmain gown: it was $300, an extravagant sum at the time. Vera Carpinetti was her customary chic self, as was Sako Fisher in Chanel, Barbara Brookins Schneider in YSL, Urannia Ristow in a dramatic bicolor fur cape, and Sloan Barnett in va-voom Valentino.
The Patrons’ Dinner was held in the temporary tent on “Lake Louise,” with Robert Fountain’s comfy banquettes cosseting the charmers. Over in City Hall, the Symphonix dinner dazzled with white décor, while the Symphony Supper occupied the City Hall rotunda, which glowed in its own glory of gilding. Gala committee chair Jessa Wu herded a capable cast to lead the evenings’ events: Leona Bridges, Sherry Chen, Emma Goltz, Lisa Grotts, Judy Guggenhime, Liz Larned, Becca Prowda, and Judy Zafran co-chaired the Patrons’ Dinner; Christopher Contos and Michelle Curtis led Symphonix; Letitia & Michael Kim and Patricia Ferrin Loucks & Charles Loucks organized the Symphony Supper; and Cameron Phleger and Andrew Freeman wrapped up the evening with the gala post-parties, which played out in all three dinner venues. Dagmar & Ray Dolby, who know a good sound when they hear one, served as honorary co-chairs of the evening.
From the moment he tipped his baton to the Star Spangled Banner, MTT was on his game the way only our maestro can be. When he was joined onstage by the Chinese soloist Lang Lang (scene-stealer of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics last summer), the electricity was palpable. Lang Lang’s intense solo encore, was pronounced the pinnacle of the night. And shouldn’t the main event be the main event?
At the Opera two nights later, the updos were up and the drop earrings were down for a long and lavish night. Rarely does the event onstage outshine the performance in the loge and lobby, but this one showed the best of both. New music director Nicola Luisotti led the orchestra with brio, and the performers responded in kind. Male and female hearts had equal opportunity to pitter-pat at the dashing Dmitri Hvorostovsky as Count di Luna and Sondra Radvanovsky as luscious Leonora, but every performance was consistently superlative, both in a musical and dramatic sense. The fact that twenty thousand people packed PacBell Park the following week to watch a live simulcast of Il Trovatore speaks to the opera’s appeal.
For the first time in a decade, the post-performance Opera Ball was combined with Bravo! in City Hall, which Stanlee Gatti had transformed into a soignée Spanish setting, complete with dangling red roses, and doorways dripping with black lace. Opera Ball co-chairwomen Teresa Medearis, in ravishing red Catherine Regehr, and Adrianna Pope Sullivan summoned Spain in a froth of vintage black lace, and with Bravo! co-chairs Marie Carr, in a white column, and Alexandra Siliezar, in rich red velvet, hosted one thousand–plus for the four-course dinner, expertly executed once more by McCall and Associates.
Standouts included Sobia Shaikh in a dazzling purple and blue sari. Dr. Afsaneh Akhtari looked ravishing in a green Roberto Cavalli, which she purchased in St. Tropez specifically for the opera, accessorized with a mine-full of yellow diamonds and a twenty-eight-carat sapphire ring that would make an emerald turn green. Emerald vintage was the choice of Sophia Molodetskaya. A joyfully “enchanted” Jennifer Seibel Newsom appeared in a ravishing Lily Samii gown of violet and lilac satin and chiffon, rendering her husband, Mayor Gavin Newsom, into articulate arm candy. Joel Goodrich raised the glam quotient for men in a sequined black dinner jacket by Chanel. “They only made two, and Karl has the other,” he informs. Former Mayor Willie Brown kept the sartorial standard high in white tie with the perquisite top hat, playfully appropriated by Charlotte Schulz, in Oscar, for a photo op. Kudos to the few other natty gents, Theodore Brown included, who wore their white tie and tails with aplomb. Lisa Miller and Ginger Bamford giggled as they saw themselves in the same black-and-white Carolina Herrera, which was worth seeing double.
Oscar’s other ladies had their day, with opening weekend sponsor Dede Wilsey in ruby-red organza, accessorized with matching de rigeur parure, while Angelique Griepp chose a daring apple green gown covered in chiffon petals. Stephanie Tuttle dazzled in grey Monique L’hullier, while Dr. Clara Shayevich looking gorgeous in gilded and beaded vintage. SF Opera board chairman John Gunn and his wife, Cynthia, were in the pink, her fuschia-and-black Hererra neatly echoed by his vest and tie. Powerful pundit Arianna Huffington, in black Dior, stopped by for cocktails. Lindsay Bolton in white Reem Acra and Deepa Pakinathan in a beautifully beaded Naeem Kahn made their columns look fresh and sinuous. Ye-Hui Lu’s white gown, overdraped with black, was a standout among the Bravo! crowd, whose toned arms, abs, and backs definitely improved the view during dinner and dominated the dance floor when the Bill Hopkins Orchestra switched from Sinatra standards to sizzling and stomping sound.
Now that we’ve dispelled the myths of opening night, we might as well keep on our truth-telling theme and reveal all: perhaps you want to peek into our preparations?
My beauty regime required me to spend the previous week at my favorite high desert spa, a place of beauty, sincerity, and wonder. There was plenty of yoga, a great walking and bicycling regime, small meals, lots of dancing, remarkable art, and a wonderful feeling of rejuvenation and support. And at $300 for the week, a true recessionista’s holiday. And if you don’t believe me, you haven’t been to Burning Man. Dust storms be damned, it was worth it to try the Bacon Bloody Mary—“like celery only better”—prepared with plenty of horseradish and topped with a crispy swizzle. In the chilly evenings, it was all about the Leopardtini, a slinking concoction of vodka, chocolate liqueur, and Kahlua, served in a glass edged in caramel and chocolate sprinkles. They’re not serving those at the Golden Door, yet, but who knows if they will catch on for next year’s opening night. We’ll be prowling the playa and the red-carpeted pavement in patient anticipation. As for the next morning? They will all live happily ever after, and we hope you do, too.
Jennifer Raiser‘s train has left the station and is at the tailor for repairs.
