EVENTS: L'Amour & Couture Gala
Tiger Ball
2009 Opening Night Celebration
2009 Viva la Diva Gala
T4T Cocktail Reception
2008 Viva la Diva Gala
Cyrano Director’s Salon
2007 Opening Night Gala

2011 Gala ~ L'Amour & Couture

The 2011 L’Amour & Couture Gala was inspired by the Opera Company of Philadelphia’s production of Gounod’s Romeo & Juliet, in which the Montagues and Capulets were portrayed as competing modern-day fashion houses. Starring in the production’s titles roles were real-life spouses, Academy of Vocal Arts alumni and rising international sensations Stephen Costello and Ailyn Pérez, who are the evening’s Guests of Honor. To create many of the couture costumes featured in the production, OCP partnered with the fashion design programs at Drexel University’s Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design, Moore College of Art and Design, and Philadelphia University.  Students from these three institutions worked under the direction of OCP Costume Director Richard St. Clair to create exciting avant-garde fashions that appear on the Academy of Music stage during the opera. The L’Amour & Couture Gala, co-chaired by Eliana and Maria Papadakis, featured a special preview runway show of the 16 winning student designs that appear in the production, as well as a cocktail hour, seated dinner, live and silent auctions, and a musical performance.

Opera Company General Director David Devan and Board Chair Stephen Madva with L’Amour & Couture Co-Chairs Maria and Eliana Papadakis

Dianne and Don Cooney with Joy and Peter Martosella.

Raymond and OCP Board member Carol Lawrence with Dianne Semingson and Craig Lewis and their daughter Janet Lewis.

Krzysztof Bratun with Jerry and Ellen Berman Lee and OCP Costume Director Richard St. Clair.

Tom and Yvonne Williams with their daughters Elisabeth and Amelia.

Rachel Moore, L’Amour & Couture Co-Chair Maria Papadakis, and GN Kang.

OCP Board member Ellen Berman Lee, Denise Creedon, and Carol Mager.

L’Amour & Couture Guests of Honor Ailyn Pérez and Stephen Costello, who starred in the title roles of the Opera Company of Philadelphia’s production of Gounod’s Romeo & Juliet.

Dianne Semingson with L’Amour & Couture Co-Chair Eliana Papadakis and Theresa Rollins.

Joan and William Goldstein with Sharon Sorkin and OCP Board member Joel Koppelman.

OCP Board member Alice Strine and her husband Walter take a turn on the dance floor. OCP General Director David Devan and Philip and Rita Harper with Denise Creedon and her husband, Board Chair Stephen Madva.

The L’Amour & Couture Gala featured a special preview runway show of 16 area student designs that appeared in OCP’s production of Romeo & Juliet.

The L’Amour & Couture Gala featured a musical performance by (from left to right) soprano Elizabeth Reiter, bass-baritone Daniel Mobbs, tenor Taylor Stayton, and mezzo-soprano Olivia Vote.

The 16 winning student designers were in attendance to see their designs walk down the runway at the L’Amour & Couture gala.  Back row, from left to right:  L’Amour & Couture Guest of Honor tenor Stephen Costello, Cassandra Kane (Drexel), Harrison Johnson (Drexel), Jacqueline Ryan (Drexel), Anna-Kaarina Lake (Drexel), Sarah Buck Mueller (Drexel), Prisca Milliance (Drexel), Melissa Wheaton (Moore), Jennifer Hawrylak (Philadelphia).  Front row, from left to right:  Kristen Eissler (Drexel), L’Amour & Couture Guest of Honor soprano Ailyn Pérez, Heather Royal (Drexel), Katie Yamaguchi (Moore), L’Amour & Couture Co-Chair Maria Papadakis, Nicole Davis (Moore), Jennifer Lanyon (Philadelphia ), Nicole Enterline (Philadelphia ), Alexa O’Neill (Moore).