SOCIAL SCENE

Laurie Hodges Lapeyre, winner of the Director’s Champion in Research Award, with Dr. Louis Weiner M.D., Director of Georgetown Lombardi, and Jack DeGioia, President of Georgetown University.

34th Annual Lombardi Gala

BY KATE OCZYPOK

The 34th Annual Lombardi Gala on March 24, raised close to $1.2 million. Georgetown Lombardi friends and supporters (300 to be exact) were welcomed to The Anthem at the Wharf for a cocktail reception, silent auction, awards presentation and more. Proceeds from the gala directly funded research leading to clinical trials and new treatments that change the lives of people with cancer. The event chair was Elizabeth Shepard and Honorary Chair was DeMaurice Smith of the NFL Players Association.

Washington Opera Society

BY MARY BIRD

The Washington Opera Society recently hosted a splendid evening of dining and opera under the gracious patronage of H.E. Philippe Étienne in La Maison Français at the Embassy of France. “Faust,” under the baton of General and Artistic Director Julien Benichou was the first WOS opera production since 2019. WOS Board President Alexandra Sényi de NagyUnyom welcomed the “good looking crowd.” The performance began with the Ukrainian National Anthem as Maestro Benichou noted that art brings people together and war keeps them apart. The opera’s accomplished cast included Michael Butler as Faust, Kevin Short as Mephistopheles and Kristin Sampson as Marguerite. Meghan McCall and Stefan Lopatkiewicz narrated. A splendid future is foreshadowed as the company pursues the vision of founder Michael Reilly.

WOS Vice President Cary Pollak, WOS General and Artistic Director Julien Benichou, Marcos Galvany, “Faust” narrator Meghan McCall and Jose Betancourt. Photo by Tony Powell.