Washington National
Opera Golden Gala
March 19th • The Kennedy Center
Written by Jody Arlington
Washington National Opera's 50th Anniversary
Golden Gala, and guests knew they were in for a
retrospective treat when characters from opera
seasons past populated the Kennedy Center's
Grand Foyer.
Selwa "Lucky" Roosevelt, the event's
chairman was radiant as she kicked off the
evening by announcing that the gala brought
four million dollars into the WNO coffers. The
2,200 guests represented the diplomatic corps,
politicians, cabinet officials, three supreme court
justices and Washington National Opera trustees,
including Jacqueline Mars, Betty Scripps Harvey
and Mercedes Bass.
The audience enjoyed
rousing performances by Anna Netrebko, Juan
Diego Florez, Carlos Alvarez, Elizabeth Futral,
Paul Groves, Alan Held, Anja Kampe, John Matz
and Samuel Ramey performing WNO "Greatest
Hits" such as "O mio babbino caro" from Puccini's
Gianni Schicci, a fabulous "madamina, il Catalogo
e questo" from Mozart's Don Giovanni, and "Ecco
il Mondo"from Boito's Mefistofele, all made
possible by the orchestra, and Maestro Heinz
Fricke's conducting.
The guilty pleasure of the evening was the world
premiere of Marvin Hamlisch and Sheldon Harnick's
Opera spoof "The Audition," starring Placido Domigo,
Kristin Chenoweth and Trevor Scheunemann (a
Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Member) with cameos
by Justices Stephen G. Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsberg
and Antonin Scalia.
One only wishes we didn't have to wait so many years
for another celebration. Lucky, must you retire? One
more for the 55th? For Washington? For opera lovers?
Photos by Kyle Samperton
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