BizBash
  • Production & Strategy
  • Catering & Design
  • Event Tech & Virtual
  • Venues & Destinations
  • Meetings & Trade Shows
  • Sports
  • Advertise
  • Events
Topics
  • Production & Strategy
  • Catering & Design
  • Event Tech & Virtual
  • Venues & Destinations
  • Meetings & Trade Shows
  • Sports
  • Advertise
  • Events
  • Industry Buzz
  • BizBash Lists
Resources
  • On-Demand
  • White Papers & E-Books
  • Podcast
  • Magazine
  • Events
  • Awards
  • Subscribe
User Tools
Follow BizBash
Instagram iconLinkedIn iconFacebook iconTwitter X icon Pinterest iconYouTube iconTikTok
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Get Featured
  • Press Releases
  • Newsletter Signup
  • Subscribe to Magazine
Follow BizBash
Instagram iconLinkedIn iconFacebook iconTwitter X icon Pinterest iconYouTube iconTikTok
  • Production & Strategy
  • Catering & Design
  • Event Tech & Virtual
  • Venues & Destinations
  • Meetings & Trade Shows
  • Sports
  • Advertise
  • Events
  • On-Demand
  • White Papers & E-Books
  • Podcast
  • Magazine
  • Events
  • Awards
  • Subscribe
  1. Venues & Destinations
  2. United States
  3. New York

Opera Gala Goes for "Elegant" Pirate Theme

The New York City Opera’s fund-raiser mixed restraint with towering stacks of gold coins and 16-foot-high ship masts.

March 21, 2007
With a production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance making its debut this month, the New York City Opera’s spring gala on March 15 had an obvious theme. But that prompted a certain question of style: How much pirate is too much pirate?New York City Opera director of special events Sarah Denton oversaw the affair, which saluted outgoing general artistic director Paul Kellogg as well as longtime season sponsor Altria Group. She said the look and feel of the event began with the invitation. “We used a pirate theme, but because we were honoring Paul and Altria, we wanted to give it a regal look and feel,” she said. The invite’s color palette evolved from an initial red and white to a final gold and cream, to communicate a luxurious and expensive feel. Denton described the ultimate concept as “a pirate theme with a subdued and glamorous feel to it. Very chic.”

For design, Denton again enlisted David Stark, who incorporated the colors of the invitation, the stage set, and even the promenade where the dinner and dancing would take place into the decor at the New York State Theater. Stark realized from the beginning that creating a pirate-theme setting appropriate for a formal gala required some restraint. “The question is, how do you do it in an elegant way?” he said. “How do you step up the elegance but still make it fun?” There was also the challenge of doing it on the lean-and-mean budget of a not-for-profit organization.

The solution was an emphasis on texture and color, orchestrating a few elements to create a big impact, and the use of surprising materials—which in this case included 15,000 chocolate gold coins. (This wasn’t the first time Stark created a visually compelling decor with relatively inexpensive materials: For last year’s fall gala, he used 5,000 blue and white streamers to great effect in the same space.)

Denton praised Stark’s ability to deliver high-end design with limited funds. “He’s very good at working within our budget but still making it look fantastic and luxurious,” she said. “He’s very sensitive to our nonprofit needs.”

—Mimi O’Connor

Posted 03.21.07

Photos: BiZBash
Some of the tables’ centerpieces featured precarious stacks of gold coins. To create them, Stark and his staff drilled holes into the foiled-wrapped chocolates and then used a rod to stabilize the pile.
Some of the tables’ centerpieces featured precarious stacks of gold coins. To create them, Stark and his staff drilled holes into the foiled-wrapped chocolates and then used a rod to stabilize the pile.
Sixteen-foot-high ship masts rose from the honorees’ tables, with the aid of metal plates used to anchor the towering welded structures. Earlier in the evening, Stark integrated the pieces, topped with gold satin sails, into the bar during cocktail hour.
Sixteen-foot-high ship masts rose from the honorees’ tables, with the aid of metal plates used to anchor the towering welded structures. Earlier in the evening, Stark integrated the pieces, topped with gold satin sails, into the bar during cocktail hour.
Some centerpieces featured a pile of gold topped with candleholders ranging from four to six feet high, which supported a ring of gold votives.
Some centerpieces featured a pile of gold topped with candleholders ranging from four to six feet high, which supported a ring of gold votives.
The gold-and-black color scheme, evident in such elements as table linens and lighting, capitalized on the gold-and-black interior of the theater’s Grand Promenade. The gala raised $950,000 for the New York City Opera.
The gold-and-black color scheme, evident in such elements as table linens and lighting, capitalized on the gold-and-black interior of the theater’s Grand Promenade. The gala raised $950,000 for the New York City Opera.
Latest in New York
Event Space at SUMMIT One Vanderbilt
New York
12 New Venues in New York for Summer 2025 Meetings and Events
Sales 202502 2339203 Media Campaign X Thumb 700x467 Fnl
Industry Insiders
Everything You Need to Wow, All in One
Unveiled at The William Vale
New York
19 New Venues in New York for Spring 2025 Meetings and Events
Le Bar Penelope
New York
10 New Venues in New York for Fall 2024 Meetings and Events
Related Stories
E748101 152
New York
Chelsea Hotel Bar Gets Simplified Design
The Karim Rashid-designed chair traveled from New York to Los Angeles.
New York
Veuve Hits Both Coasts With Loveseat Party
E74651 152
New York
A Stripped-Down Midtown Nightclub
Absolut staged its New York event at the downtown venue the Box, which features a decadent Baroque decor, an appropriate setting for the night’s “Bordello of Eden” theme. Adding to the allure of the event was the fact that the venue was not yet open to the public.
New York
Vodka Launches Have Same Fruit, Different Flavors
More in New York
New York
12 New Venues in New York for Summer 2025 Meetings and Events
Take a peek at these buzzworthy restaurants, hotels, meeting and event spaces, and more recently opened in New York.
Event Space at SUMMIT One Vanderbilt
Sponsored
Everything You Need to Wow, All in One
Meetings that hit big—made simple.
Sales 202502 2339203 Media Campaign X Thumb 700x467 Fnl
New York
19 New Venues in New York for Spring 2025 Meetings and Events
Take a peek at these buzzworthy restaurants, hotels, meeting and event spaces, and more recently opened in New York.
Unveiled at The William Vale
New York
10 New Venues in New York for Fall 2024 Meetings and Events
Take a peek at these buzzworthy restaurants, hotels, meeting and event spaces, and more recently opened in New York.
Le Bar Penelope
New York
14 New Venues in New York for Summer 2024 Meetings and Events
Take a peek at these buzzworthy restaurants, hotels, meeting and event spaces, and more recently opened in New York.
Convene at 101 Park Avenue
Sponsored
Picture-Perfect Venues for Your Midtown Manhattan Events
Newly renovated and expanded Convene venues can host events of all sizes.
A look at the newly refreshed Convene 117 West 46th Street
Most Popular
Brands & Event Pros
Industry Innovators 2025: Sephora
Experiential Marketing, Activations & Sponsorships
Cannes Lions 2025: 90+ Bold Builds and Big Ideas From the French Festival of Creativity
Experiential Marketing, Activations & Sponsorships
Disney+ Leaned Into Y2K Vibes for a 'Throwback' Pop-Up Experience in LA
Experiential Marketing, Activations & Sponsorships
50 Cool Event Ideas You May Have Missed From Liquid I.V., Martha Stewart, Foot Locker, and More
Brands & Event Pros
Industry Innovators 2025: 10 Brands That Took Experiential Marketing to a Whole New Level
Sports
See Inside Sport Beach—The Game-Raising Activation That Had Everyone Talking at Cannes Lions
New York
12 New Venues in New York for Spring 2024 Meetings and Events
Take a peek at these buzzworthy restaurants, hotels, meeting and event spaces, and more recently opened in New York.
The Ranch at Hudson Valley
New York
12 New Venues in New York for Fall 2023 Meetings and Events
Take an inside look at these trending restaurants, resorts, meeting and event spaces, and more recently opened in New York.
Maxwell
Sponsored
Venue of the Future: Only at Cipriani 25 Broadway
25 Broadway: Where every event is an unforgettable experience.
An example of the magic at Cipriani 25 Broadway
New York
11 New Venues in New York for Summer 2023 Meetings and Events
Take an inside look at these trending restaurants, resorts, meeting and event spaces, and more recently opened in New York.
Moxy Williamsburg
Sponsored
Top 5 Most Iconic Events at the Manhattan Center
The Manhattan Center’s versatility allows clients to transform the spaces into whatever they envision. Here are five of the most iconic events that have been hosted at the venue.
2022 Red Bull BC One Finals, produced by Listen Entertainment.
New York
17 New Venues in New York for Spring 2023 Meetings and Events
Take an inside look at these trending restaurants, resorts, meeting and event spaces, and more recently opened in New York.
The Highlight Room at Moxy Lower East Side
Page 1 of 333
Next Page
BizBash
Follow BizBash
Instagram iconLinkedIn iconFacebook iconTwitter X icon Pinterest iconYouTube iconTikTok
  1. Privacy Policy
  2. CCPA: Do Not Sell My Personal Info
  3. Contact Us
  4. Site Map
© 2025 Connect Biz, LLC. All rights reserved.