Sartorial Cleveland on Opening Night

What a collection of well-dressed Clevelanders showed up for last night's opening gala of the Cleveland Orchestra's new season. Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres in the downstairs Smith Lobby were followed by a 90-minute concert, concluding with Ravel's "Bolero."

Before the concert, Mayor Frank Jackson made admiring remarks about the reputation of the Cleveland Orchestra and its importance to the city. As the gala was also to celebrate Franz Welser-Most's 10th anniversary with the orchestra, Mr. Jackson also presented Mr. Franz Welser-Most with a key to the city.

After the concert, the crowd moved to tables set up outside the Dress Circle and in the main lobby for a meal prepared by Chef Zack Bruell. Sushi was the first course, followed by a delicate presentation of New York strip steak, thinly sliced, sauced, and fanned out, served with carmelized onions. The tripartite dessert included a rich chocolate brownie with nuts and raspberry sauce, a baked peach, and a tiny cannoli. A different wine accompanied each course. Tiny plates of chocolate truffles concluded the meal.

If you ever get a chance to attend a performance of "Bolero," watch how each instrument is folded into the composition. It's a "Where's Waldo?" of music, as your eyes dart around to find the player. The violins and violas strum their instruments much of the time, like one would play a guitar.

I decided to go with a 1920's theme...columnar tea-length dress, silk velvet jacket, long jet beads tied in a knot, and feathers in the hair. Fortunately, the evening ended before I started molting.