"Priscilla seemed really happy about the whole experience and Washington National Opera adores her very, very much...
Opera Ball Tweet from Michelle Pendoley
This is the picture you have all been waiting for, right?*
12 Noon Saturday
Priscilla just called me to give me a blow-by-blow of the dinner and ball. She is still cruising somewhere in the stratosphere - looking down on cloud nine!
The nutshell version is that she had an "awesome" time and that everyone was great with her. And now here's the longer version:
Once The Gown and bling had been delivered and Priscilla and Larry were ready to roll, their hotel-provided town car took them to the Belgian Embassy for thre pre-Ball dinner. There she met the Ball Chair Susan Lehman and various others who would be going on to the Ball . Couples were seated apart at dinner so that there was more chance to speak with people you didn't know. Priscilla had gentleman on both her left and right and they were quite charming, chit-chatting about opera, Priscilla, her teaching and their families; "You know" said Priscilla "Just the usual dinner talk." (Of course I know, Priscilla. I'm at Embassy dinners all the time!) The food was delicious and included asparagus-wrapped scallops as an appetizer and roast lamb on a bed of rice as the entrée. A fine red wine was served and Priscilla who normally doesn't drink alcohol, sipped it when toasts were made. Her husband Larry, who is a former Coast Guard and does drink, had brought his own hip-flask, got plastered and did a face plant into the chocolate dessert. Just kidding, Larry, just kidding!
Yes, I know this is supposed to be an opera blog but how can I ignore the fact that during the last seven days four individuals each of whom was for one reason or another an American icon has died.
Summer is officially here. Am I the only one who finds it strange that the longest day of the year - yesterday - should be the official first day of summer? I celebrated the occasion in a very restrained way buying half a flat of strawberries and some rhubarb from the Farmers' Market and making pies. Mmmmm. Pie!
I have written here before about my connection to and enthusiasm for Opera Theater Oregon and I am happy to announce that their latest production is about to hit the boards and the screen this weekend at the Clinton Street Theater. And, it being Fathers' Day weekend, what could be more appropriate than a show entitled DADA?
Precisely one month ago today I received the news that I had won the Operaplot contest and since then not only has my life been almost entirely pre-occupied with the myriad things that followed that announcement but you, dear readers, have read of almost nothing else here. Normally of course I try to be eclectic in my posts. Jim Fullan the Director of Marketing for Portland Opera who is ultimately responsible for what you read here describes it, not unkindly, as being "All over the map!" However, this seems to be what you want and it's pretty much the only way I can write so until someone tells me to do it differently that's what you get. Thus, for me to post almost exclusively about one matter has been a distinct break from the norm and for the time being at least you can expect me to revert to my normal form.
Marcia Adair, The Omniscient Mussel, who had this wonderfully whimsical idea to hold a contest to see who could summarise an opera plot on Twitter in 140 characters or less. Once the entries began to flock in - from ten countries around the globe - she did amazing work in collating everything for the celebrity judge. So, what's next, Marcia - War and Peace in a dozen words or less?
Danielle de Niese who, though obviously lacking literary taste (she did pick my Tweet as the winner after all, didn't she?) then showed herself to be the classiest of divas by offering to go to Priscilla's school to talk to the students. That alone made me a life-long fan of Ms de Niese. The fact she has a glorious voice and is gorgeous doesn't hurt either. Danni - as we in her inner circle call her - has asked to meet Priscilla in New York in the Fall when she is there to do Nozze di Figaro. I think that making sure Priscilla gets there may be my next project.
Priscilla called me first thing this morning to tell me what a great time she had at dinner last nightwith some of the cast of 
Michelle Pendoley 'tweeted' from the opera to say that she had just escorted Priscilla and her husband to their seats and that they looked "a million bucks". It has always been important to me that Priscilla be able to go there knowing she looked as glamorous as anyone in the house. Seems that she did.
I just got a call from Michelle Pendoley at Washington National Opera to say that today she and Priscilla went shopping for material for her ball gown which the costume shop are going to build for her. Given that the opera is on Thursday and the Ball is on Friday this may seem to you, as it did to me, to be leaving things just a tad late. Marshal LaBoeuf, the Director of Costumes has said all will be well. I trust her. So, they went shopping - with a posse! Priscilla and her husband and her niece, Michelle Pendoley, Marsha LaBoeuf and the opera's head stylist (whose name I have shamefully forgotten!) I am told they bought three separate ball gowns in Priscilla's size and now the costume shop is going to be working night and day, literally, to cannibalise them and make one gorgeous gown. Michelle told me she thinks it will be in fuschia and strapless. I gather that Marsha and the stylist both told Priscilla she would look stunning.
There is a well-known saying "When the tide comes in all the boats rise". In other words what is good for one tends be good for all. Historically, all but the largest and wealthiest arts organisations throughout the United States have tended to live hand-to-mouth. However, during the heady days of first the internet IPO's and then the housing price explosion and a stock market which seemed to know no ceiling those with significant amounts of cash to spend found themselves being in a position to be philanthropic. Many of them spread their newly acquired wealth among the artistic bodies of their choice, whether it be the opera, an art museum, their local symphony orchestra or a ballet company. Laissez les bons temps rouler!