On
Thursday, January 15, 2009 New York City Opera presented a gala concert
at Carnegie Hall of Samuel Barber's Antony and Cleopatra in
honor of the great American composer's centennial year. The
superb cast was headlined by City Opera favorite, Lauren Flanigan
as Cleopatra, debuting baritone Teddy Tahu Rhodes as Antony, and
rising dramatic tenor Simon O'Neill as Caesar. Gala guests
joined for pre-performance cocktail and dinner and returned during
intermission for champagne and dessert. The Gala which honored Nomi
Ghez and which was underwritten by Constance J. Milstein raised funds
to support New York City Opera's Season and its Education Programs
reaching thousands of NYC public school students annually.
The Gala's Honorary Chair was His
Excellency Roy Ferguson New Zealand Ambassador to the United States.
Gala Dinner Chairs were Penelope Biggs and John
Biggs, Brooke Hayward Duchin, and Lorry Newhouse and Mark Newhouse.
Notable attendees included Susan Baker
and Michael Lynch, Penelope Biggs and John H. Biggs, Coco Kopelman
and Arie L. Kopelman, Samantha Chartouni and Nabil Chartouni, Jennie
DeScherer and Richard DeScherer, Brooke Hayward Duchin, Claire Eckert
and Fred Eckert, Edmee Firth and Nicholas Firth, Olivia Flatto and
Adam Flatto, Constance J. Milstein, Gillian Miniter and Sylvester
Miniter, Princess Alexandra of Greece and Nicolas Mirzayantz, Helen
Stambler Neuberger and James Neuberger, Lorry Newhouse and Mark Newhouse,
Liz Peek and Jeff Peek, Donna Schwartz and Marvin Schwartz, Nomi
Ghez and Dr. Michael Siegal, Ted Snowdon, Livia Strauss, Roy Niederhoffer
and Kara Unterberg.
