Opera Colorado gala-goers were treated to arias and show tunes that were introduced by former Miss America Lee Meriwether; general director Greg Carpenter said the 300 who attended Gala 2009, chaired by board members Merrill Shields and Bob Swift, helped raise $200,000 for Opera Colorado’s student outreach programs.
Fashion standouts at the opera bash included Arlene Hirschfeld, whose custom-made feather-and- brilliants gown was from Chez Catherine in Toronto; Electra Falliers, in vintage Robert David Morton purchased about 25 years ago from the former Lillie Rubin boutique at the now-gone Cinderella City mall; and Victoria Frank, who’d splurged on a black Thakoon gown “because I knew it would be perfect” with her favorite Swarovski crystal-trimmed Manolo Blahnik stilettos.
Marielena Radecki, a new member of the Opera Colorado board, was in gold Ralph Lauren, and Ellie Caulkins, for whom the opera house is named, chose pale blue Calvin Klein. Chairwoman Shields did Carmen Marc Valvo proud, while her husband, M. Ray Thomasson, accessorized with a silk vest purchased for his birthday from a Burlington Arcade shop in London.
Among the patrons at the opera ball were Kalleen and Bob Malone; Pamela Merrill, widow of company co-founder Nat Merrill; Susan and Jeremy Shamos; Anna and John Sie; Liane and Robert Clasen; Diane and Charlie Gallagher; Susan and Jeff Adams; Debi and Jerry Tepper; Sunny and Norm Brownstein; Nan and Spike Eklund; Joy and Chris Dinsdale; Merle Chambers and Hugh Grant; Steve Sei fert; Ursula and Charles Kafadar; Shirley and Marlis Smith; Margaret Cunningham; Alice and Len Perlmutter; Sharon Magness Blake and Ernie Blake; Martha and Will Tracey; Sue Cannon; and Noel and Tom Congdon.
