At least someone's happy with The Metropolitan Opera's new Wagner Ring! New York Social Diary came through with photos from The Metropolitan Opera's opening night gala, which actually left us wondering if was a black tie affair -- what was up with men in slouchy business casual? A smiling Peter Gelb welcomes you in above, but click here for the entire Gelb clan (young Gelb blood) on NYSD!
We're also digging Guest of a Guest's party photos from opening night! Especially for snaps of diva Austin Scarlett looking fabulous (as always). There's also The Met's own gallery here.
UPDATE! Don't miss André Leon Talley's Night at the Opera report on Vogue.com. Talley, who went with Maureen Dowd, quoted her:
“Opera is the new hot. Forget movie premieres and Hollywood—it’s the new sexy. I feel like Ellen Olenska in Edith Wharton’s The Age of Innocence.”
Update! Via Alex Ross (via Amanda Ameer) we found this short video of Eric Owens (who sang Alberich on opening night) showing off his freestyle skillz in all his post-opera glory!
Gott in Himmel! That awful Austin Scarlett who couldn't get halfway through the Project: Runway competition he was on. And now he has some lame series with "Santino" also of Project: Runway infamy in which they make-over some country bumpkin into the belle for an evening, e. g. anniversary barbecue, 60th birthday party, etc. Unfortunately their fashion sense is totally awe-inspiring to the rural Americans involved. Sorry, the empress has no clothes on!
Posted by: Bill Philin-Ploplis | September 29, 2010 at 11:49 PM
Ms. Voigt was the best looking person in the photo spread. Let's hope she sounds as good as she looks next April when she's "Ho-jo-to-ho-ing!"
Posted by: El Cajon | September 30, 2010 at 04:15 AM
Frankly, Miss Scarlett, you look like you're channeling Peter Facinelli in TWILIGHT in that photo... ;-)
Posted by: fignaz | September 30, 2010 at 01:15 PM
yes, and while the gliterarri get photographed by a fetishistic press, Gelbs' alleged reach out to the masses is where,exactly? Do these solipsistic folk actually pay for their tickets?
Posted by: Patrick | September 30, 2010 at 01:34 PM
@Patrick: Presuming that the celebs pay for the expensive tickets because they can may be overly optimistic on my part. However, I must put in a word for the "masses": A friend and I (both graduate students) sat in Family Circle, with a couple on one side of us who were surprised to learn there would be no intermission (!) and surrounded by silver-haired stalwarts and Wagner-devotees of various stripes. Also, last night, benefiting from the Met's "Buy one ticket, get the second at half price" offer, we scooped up three opera novices (one of whom was a first-timer) for Rigoletto. And they loved it! So, for some value of "masses," we're here, and we're bringing our friends... we're just up in the cheap seats, wearing LBDs we found in second-hand shops.
Posted by: L. | September 30, 2010 at 04:06 PM
I'll take Manhattan, Barbara Cook, Talley, (in a pinch the Gelb descendants), the Bronx and Staten Island, too!
Posted by: vale | September 30, 2010 at 05:27 PM
L,yes, you quite correct.The prices just crush me as a family man, as they do going to a ballgame as well...sigh
Posted by: Patrick | September 30, 2010 at 09:37 PM
and check out Deborah Voigt interviewing Patti Smith on the red carpet!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWsGuI-S0mQ
Posted by: Matthew | October 01, 2010 at 11:55 PM