Photos: Opening Night at the Symphony

Big tent for big party.

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The Symphony Gala, which happening last Thursday night, succeeded in entertaining the elite masses who pretend to like classical music. Simply put, it was to a night to die for, darling. And if you've ever wondered what, exactly, it is that conductors do, Michael Tilson-Thomas gave a demonstration by conducting the audience in a rendition of the National Anthem, giving the beat with the baton and making funky faces to coax more passion from the crowd. (Tipsy from the free bubbly in the promenade, they had no trouble giving it their all.)

Anyhow, the main performance was merely a pretext for getting drunk via the post-symphony open bar. MTT showboated more than usual in an excerpt from Delibes's ballet Sylvia. (Oh, and while Joshua Kosman noted the balance of the string and the brass in the orchestration, he really it should be acknowledged in the execution, as we've heard the brass coming in too strong so many times at Davies. But we digress.) But enough of that talk. Here are a few photos we captured on our mobile communication device for your enjoyment.