‘Tosca’ Opera Patrons Honored at Nathanson Dinner

“This doesn’t feel like a stuffy opera party,” declared Nancy Vreeland, as her eyes scanned the room of tuxedoed men and elegantly dressed women.

“We don’t have a stuffy opera,” replied her friend.

Despite the formality of clothes and major jewels, there was little stuffiness at the home of Jane and Marc Nathanson on Saturday night when 130 Los Angeles Music Center Opera supporters met for dinner.

“At the opening-night gala, there are going to be thousands of people there,” said Joan Hotchkis, co-chairman of the gala along with Vreeland, and “we wanted to have something more intimate for our patrons.”

Collection of Art

Those with $1,000 tickets to see the premiere of “Tosca” Sept. 6 also were invited to this party, where guests were appropriately awed by the Nathansons’ collection of modern art. While chatting in the living room, it was hard to miss the Ed Ruscha above the mantle. Two Frank Stellas dominated the entry way and on a far wall was Andy Warhol’s portrait of Jane Nathanson.

Placido Domingo, who will conduct “Tosca,” was the evening’s guest of honor. The celebrated tenor flew in from performing in Salzburg, Austria, will rehearse for a few days here, then fly back to Salzburg for a final performance before his Los Angeles opening.

“After three seasons, we can talk about L.A. having an opera,” said Domingo. “What’s very beautiful about the people in Los Angeles, they like all kinds of repertoire. You’d think that they’d only like the most popular operas, but it’s not true. It’s a wonderful advantage.”

Courtyard Service

Guests were served dinner in the courtyard, flanked by a modern sculpture and two basketball hoops. Dining on curried chicken served in scooped-out pineapple halves were former U.S. Treasury Secretary William Simon; Tom and Esther Wachtell; Jane and Peter Hemmings (the opera’s general director); Chantal Kilroy; Tara Colburn; Edye and Eli Broad; Suzanne Marx and Jack Lowrance; Terri and Timothy Childs; Georgiana and Ricardo Montalban; Gerald and Robin Parsky; Wendy and Leonard Goldberg; and Pippa Scott and friends Marvin Antonowsky, Fabienne Schwalbe, Douglas Schwalbe and Mary Anne Schwalbe, who had stopped their limo at the bottom of the hill before the party to get a good glimpse of Candy and Aaron Spelling’s ultra-mansion.

There was even a romantic touch to the evening: Longtime couple Peggy Parker and Walter Grauman announced their engagement.