Operanation was a resounding success!
905 people
1 brand new opera house
5 designer food & drink stands
1 DJ
tons of media, fans spray on tattoos
and, me!

The evening opened with all committee members hitting the Four Season's Centre for Performing Arts nice and early to get debriefed, unwind and prepare for a stellar night of uncomperable arts and entertainment.

Dressed in our finest cocktail attire, and I in my silk crepe, leopard print, vintage inspired number (Thank you A.B.S. by Allen Schwartz ) we were ready to meet, greet and be the friendly faces of Opera in the young professionals sect.

The silent auction was amazing, besides a bizarre addition of an empty Culture Club record sleeve by Gian Gomeshi, there was a party for 140 at Revival, Feenie Beadies was on site finishing a lavish necklace, complete boxed sets of DVDs from Alliance Atlantis, and more.

Of course, if you purchased a $200 VIP ticket, you were treated to a backstage tour, a champagne reception, a live auction featuring a wardrobe from Hugo Boss, Land Rover experience tours in Montebello and luxurious vacations, not to mention the wonderful gift bags complete with Hugo Boss cologne, decadent chocolates, magazines, a book about the history of Opera and a darling broach from Foxy Jewerelly (Suzy from Foxy Jewerelly is posing with me just above).

Live performances dotted Toronto's newest archetectural gem, while party goers sipped on expertly prepared cocktails and dined on haute cuisine soul food (The Miniature Tourtières were my favorite, next to the crab stuffed cucumber squares and fried asparagus) all the while revelling in the exclusivity of this very chic metropolitan fundraiser.

An event planned for the youth, by the youth, it was an event to raise funds, raise friends and raise awareness. The opera is more than performances on stage. The Canadian Opera Company is renowned for nurturing new artists through their ensemble programme, educating children with their numerous education and outreach programmes, developping new and innovative interpretations of operas featuring compelling Canadian artists like Atom Egoyan, and touring the world to leverage the Opera Company and Canada as a producer of exceptional artistic creations.

The Opera is more than fat ladies on stage. It's arts, education, professional development, cultural excellence and one of the few art forms with an invested interest in compelling younger audiences. Hence, Operanation.
Hence, the reason we sold out this year.
Hence, tickets being sought after on craigslist.
And, why you should think about buying your ticket for next year.
Operanation.
Opera-awesome.