This past Friday night had the cream of society captive in what appeared to be a scene from a bygone era. With grace and high end revelry guests and media alike were treated to a stunning kaleidoscopic visual. From ambassadors, diplomats, magicians (Austria’s Magic Christian), starry eyed debutantes, their suitors, Miss USA, Miss Universe, American idol matinee stars (Constantine Maroulis),unicorn led carriages, long tailed orchestra sets, flamboyant ballet dancers from the Metropolitan Opera and the ever constant pump of the Viennese Waltz guests were transported to a fairy tale like scene like the one Mozart must have envisaged when the Viennese Opera Ball first came to prominence in the 1800’s.
The ball, a tradition emanating from Viennese high society, but now a rite of passage for every game Austrian found itself once again home to the Waldorf Astoria in its 55th annual NY rendition. With the gentlemen of the house donning long coat tail tuxedos with white bow ties and the ladies billowing floor length ballroom gowns, one could have been forgiven for thinking that they had arrived at the induction of monarchy. A brief regard of guests noted the following, Tony Award winner Geoffrey Holder, dance legend the sleek Carmen de Lavallade, Dancing with the stars Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Austrian Ambassador to the UN- Thomas Mayr Harting, Consul General of Austria- Ernst Peter Brezovsky, and the high ranking diplomat Christian Prosl (whom I was able to catch up with and discuss at length about what the ball means, more on this below…) and a variety of members of society that this author was thrilled to have come across.
The Austrian Consulate Hosts the Pre Ceremonies to the Viennese Opera Ball
