About Kate Benz

Kate Benz 412-380-8515
Fanfare Columnist
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Kate Benz is the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Fanfare columnist.

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Saturday - May 18, 2013

Lifestyles Photo Galleries

Persad Center’s Art for Change continues to grow

Diamonds turned out to be more than just a girl's best friend on Friday evening thanks to a luck of the draw that saw a pleasantly stunned Nachum Golan snagging the coveted diamond horseshoe pendant, the signature raffle that has enjoyed a 47-year tradition established by the late Marjorie Hughes.

“Come get your diamond!” called out board prez Clyde Jones. “I want to see it as a beautiful tie tack.”

Obliging, the proud owner showed off his new bling, neatly draped across his necktie. “I am so surprised. ... I never win anything!” he laughed.

And so it goes that the Pittsburgh Opera's Diamond Horseshoe Ball was off to the races right out of the gate, where co-chairs Dr. Nicholas and Susan Loutsion were holding court during the “Revelry, Romance and Royalty”-themed soiree.

“Try saying that after three glasses of wine!” she mused.

Elsewhere, dinner chairs David and Gabriela Porges, Opera board chair Michele Fabrizi and Myron Tomb, PO Association prez Nancy and John Traina, General Director Christopher Hahn and Ron Booth, Saundra and Bill Stout, Dolores Smith Barber, Rose Kutsenkow, Virginia and John DiPucci, David Savard, Carol Sirianni, Gene Welsh and David McAdams, Roseanne and Mark Wholey, Dr. Lisa Cibik, Ellen Roth, Vivian and Bill Benter, Athena Sarris, and Murry and Cindy Gerber were enjoying being wined and dined to attentive perfection at the Omni William Penn. Courses were divied up to allow the Resident Artists for some time in the spotlight.

“I hate going after her,” deadpanned baritone Mark Delavan as soprano Lyubov Petrova ended her part on a high note.

While mixing and mingling proved too tempting to resist in lieu of staying put, the socials were on their feet for the better half of the evening as Gary Racan and the studio-e band kept the party going late into the night as the curtain officially rose on another Pittsburgh Opera season.

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