Houston Grand Opera Raises $1.75 million at Annual Opera Ball,

La Belle Époque

Houston,(TX—April(15,(2013:(Houston(Grand(Opera(presented(its(2013(Opera(Ball,(La#Belle#Époque,#Saturday,(April(13,(at(7(p.m.#in(the(Wortham(Theater(Center.(With(more(than(six(hundred(guests(in(attendance,(the(French(themed(gala(raised($1.75(million(to(support(the(company’s(renowned(performances(and(community(programs(that(distinguish(HGO(as(one(of(America’s(great(opera(companies.(

Dr.(and(Mrs.(John(Mendelsohn,(chairs,(welcomed(friends(of(HGO(and(guests(who(enjoyed(a(lavish(evening(of(celebration,(luxury,(and(elegance.(Jackson(Hicks(and(Jackson(and(Company(created(a(French(themed(menu(that(included(duck(à(l’orange,(brie(and(pear(en#brioche,(and(filet(mignon(with(a(cognac(and(morel(sauce.(Champagne(provided(by(Underwriters(PerrierWJouët(flowed(freely(as(David(Caceres(provided(dance(music.(!

The(Wortham(Center(Grand(Foyer(was(transformed(into(a(chic,(fin4de4siècle(Paris(salon(and(dinner(club,(replete(with(glamorous(French(ladies,(the(famous(cigarette(girls(from(Bizet’s(Carmen#(led(by(HGO(Chorus(Master(Richard(Bado),#and#the(marching(band(from(Act(II(of(Puccini’s(La#bohème.(FirstWyear(HGO(Studio(artist(Andrea(Carroll(wowed(the(audience(with(her(stunning(“Quando(m’en(vo”((also(from(La(bohème)(accompanied(at(the(piano(by(Eric(Melear,(HGO’s(associate(music(director.(As(the(pièce4de4résistance,(an(extraordinarily(acrobatic(interpretation(of(“Quadrille”(from(Cole(Porter’s(Can4Can#was(presented(as(a(sumptuous(lemon(soufflé(dessert(was(served.((

Following(La#Belle#Époque,(young(opera(patrons(kicked(back(at(the(Encore(Party,(a(lively(“after(party”(that(took(place(from(10(p.m.(to(2(a.m.(The(Encore(Party,(chaired(by(Mr.(Leslie(Jackson(and(Mr.(Marcus(Carter,(featured(a(full(bar(in(the(Grand(Foyer,(dancing(to(tunes(spun(by(DJ(Little(Martin,(and(a(midnight(breakfast.(

“It(was(a(spectacular(evening(and(we(are(fortunate(to(be(in(a(city(where(opera(is(valued,”(noted(Perryn(Leech,(HGO’s(managing(director.(“We(thank(all(of(our(supporters,(especially(Anne(and(John(Mendelsohn,(who(chaired(the(event;(Isabel(and(Danny(David(who(chaired(the(evening’s(spectacular(silent(auction;(wine(auction(chairs(Laura(and(Jerry(Lasco;(and(everyone(who(gave(so(generously(of(their(resources(and(time(to(ensure(that(the(ball(was,(once(again,(the(party(of(the(year.”(

Generous(underwriters(of(the(event(included(John(and(Anne(Mendelsohn,(Bill(and(Sara(Morgan,(BobbieWVee(and(Jerry(Cooney,(Hushang(and(Shahla(Ansary,(Ed(and(Marie(Bosarge,(HGO(Board(Chairman(Beth(Madison,(Margaret(Alkek(Williams,(Harlan(and(Dian(Stai,(Diane(Lokey(Farb,(Lasco(Enterprises,(Jerry(and(Laura(Lasco,(Cynthia(and(Tony(Petrello,(Jim(and(Molly(Crownover,(Dan(and(Pat(Breen,(Philip(and(Denise(Bahr,(Bob(and(Donna(Bruni,(Bob(and(Gracie(Cavnar,(Scotty(and(Jana(Arnoldy,(Max(and(Donna(Josey(Chapman,(Halliburton,(HWEWB(and(Charles(Butt,(Al(Lasher(III,(Katherine(G.(McGovern,(Andy(and(Brucie(Moore,(John(G.(Turner(and(Jerry(G.(Fischer,(and(Birgitt(van(Wijk.(Opera(Ball(Champions(were(Christian(Dior,(Nini(Jewels,(and(Saks(Fifth(Avenue.(

The(impressive(list(of(notable(attendees(also(included(Anne(and(Albert(Chao,(Lynn(Wyatt,(Robin(Angly(and(Miles(Smith,(Jeanette(LermanWNeubauer(and(Joseph(Neubauer,(Ann(and(Karl(Stern,(Carroll(and(Hugh(Ray,(Janet(Kelly(and(John(Carrig,(Martha(and(Mark(Carnes,(Julie(and(Bert(Cornelison,(the(Honorable(David(Dewhurst(and(Tricia(Dewhurst,(Joanne(King(Herring,(Michelle(and(Frank(Hevrdejs,(Monzer(Hourani,(Susan(Krohn,(Carol(and(Michael(Linn,(Dr.(Michael(and(Loraine(Lyons,(Frances(Marzio,(Laura(and(Brad(McWilliams,(Glen(Rosenbaum,(Dick(and(Susan(Stasney,(Ellen(and(Stephen(Susman,(and(Phoebe(and(Bobby(Tudor.

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