Diva’s Delight:
Once upon a
time, the annual Opera Ball was the party on one wanted to miss.
This year, party chairmen Shirley Grissom, Barbara Baker and
Marcelle Borgers tried to turn back the clock by tossing out the
live auction and beefing up the fun.
Partygoers paid at least $250 each to attend Friday
night’s masked ball, and then happily forked over more money to gamble
at the casino gaming tables or have a psychic tell their fortunes. A few
bought "carnival" beads for $25 a string and took home a donated prize
worth about that much.
The band was hot. The drinks were cold - and the
revelers came ready to party. This gala-savvy crowd had a good infusion
of enthusiasm from the under-35-set that paid just $110 a pop for
"junior" tickets.
Inspired by Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, party planner
Brice Evans decorated the tall balloon sculptures and
Mylar-and-neon carnival masks.
He filled the dance floor with balloons and turned off
the lights in the cocktail lounge. He forced revelers to tramp through
the darkened room and into the brighter ballroom. "Going from dark to
light always makes the trip more interesting," he said.
He also had a few choice words about committees. "I
agreed to do the decorations - only if there was no committee. Life by
committee is no way to live," he declared.
Mary Rogers - Fort Worth Star Telegram
