Thursday, September 11, was one of those rare North Texas days when it wasn’t too hot, wasn’t too cold, wasn’t too bright and shiny, wasn’t too cloudy and gloomy. It was absolutely perfect and the ladies who lunch fashionably and love opera took full advantage of it at The Dallas Opera’s First Sight at the Winspear Opera House.
Before adjourning to the Margaret McDermott Performance Hall for the CH Herrera fashion show on stage with the Carmen backdrop, the ladies (First Sight Chair Joyce Goss, Honorary Co-Chair Marnie Wildenthal, Nancy Nasher, Kristen Gibbins, Tucker Enthoven, Marilyn Weber, Cindy Feld, Patricia Cowlishaw, Carole Ann Brown, Patti Cody, Jessica Nowitzki and Kim Schlegel and the Cooley girls – Lisa, Bela and Ciara), guys (Kenny Goss, Gatsby Geerts and Emmanuel Villaume) and couples (Dallas Opera Board Chair Lynn McBee and husband Allan McBee, Kara and Randall Goss) catching up, sipping Agua de Naranjas (Torres Magdala orange liqueur, Domaine Ste. Michelle Sparkling with sugar cube and garnished with fresh orange slice) and checking out the CH Herrera pop-up shop.
With the fall season of award presentation preparing to get underway Steve Stodghill, Kaki Hopkins and Sandra Estess were being congratulated on their being named the recipients of the Larry Schoenbrun Jurisprudence Award, Dallas Historical Society’s Award of Excellence and The Senior Source’s Spirit of Generations, respectively.
After settling in their places in the Hall, the program kicked of with baritone Calvin Griffin, who subbed in for under-the-weather Ben Wager, and sang “Votre toast, je peux vous le rendre” from Carmen. The original bass-baritone Ben Wager
Presented by NorthPark, the First Sight models in CH Herrera fashions seemed to appear from all directions except the ceiling. From sun shiny lace day dresses to the closer — a dramatic red flowing gown that Carmen herself would have died for.
Ellen and Don Winspear gave CH Herrera U.S. Managing Director Geronimo Chala a thumb’s up for the presentation.
But it all made for a grand finale of the models taking their places in the Carmen set with The Dallas Opera General Director/President Ian Derrer taking his place standing next to the piano. Strolling to centerstage, Ian welcomed the guests and invited them to lunch in the lobby that included a menu “inspired by Carmen.”
And while the guests enjoyed the luncheon in the west side of the lobby, they had a perfect view of the transparent tent being finished for the next evening’s First Night seated supper and after party.