Diamond Horseshoe Ball - 9/26/09

More than 250 guests reveled in the splendor of the Pittsburgh Opera’s Diamond Horseshoe Ball, where the Opera performed Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin. Greeters in authentic European garb welcomed black-tie attendees, as they went for cocktails at EQT Plaza. Then it was on to the opening of Eugene Onegin at the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts, which received wonderful reviews. “The cast was absolutely perfect. They really complemented each other well,” says Christina Waddle, director of development for the Opera. After the show, guests waltzed to the Westin Convention Center Pittsburgh for a ball. They delighted in an authentic Russian dinner, which included various cheeses and chilled borscht. Russian folk dancers entertained guests before dinner and Gary Racan and the studio-e band had them dancing afterward. The lovely evening raised more than $100,000. Photography by Megan Wylie