Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Photos: The Young Associates Of The Metropolitan Opera
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Sep 19, 2013
Modified Sep 19, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
View all 28
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Sep 19, 2013
Modified Sep 19, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
We were told in a press release that last night's Metropolitan Opera's Young Associates' Season Preview Party is "a great way for young people to enter the world of philanthropy while gaining valuable connections for the future." Here are some photos of what that connection-percolating looks like.
Sure the prosecco was cold, and the cheeses were many (remember when Father overstocked that fridge on the rental Benetti and he was—and you were—HA-HA-HA!), but the evening's real treat were performances from bass-baritone Brandon Cedel and soprano Mary-Jane Lee. The ideal time to pass the collection plate would have been a second before the cloud of applause, while the hairs on the back of our necks were still rigid and our hearts were full of wonder at the human voice's ability to eviscerate the flesh around our souls.
After the event, one Young Associate confided to us that the evening's top gossip item had nothing to do with the Met. "Everyone was talking about Anna Nicole," the patron said, referring to New York City Opera's unorthodox season opener that was recently deemed a smash by the Times. "They wanted to bring it here but they were priced out."
We asked the patron, who declined to give his name because he was speaking so frankly (there are only around 500 Young Associates), why the Met didn't just make it work? "Look whose name is on the theater: David Koch," they replied, mispronouncing it as one would a rooster or a penis.
"I mean 'Coke!' That was a Freudian slip, wasn't it?"
Would they see Anna Nicole? "My friend said it was transcendent. I think I may have to cross the East River for this one."
It costs $600 to be a Young Associate ($1,250 for "full benefits") but you can see the opera for as little as $27.00.
Tagged
culture
david h. koch theater
go to the opera once in awhile
metropolitan opera
young associates
original
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
Would you live on a Halloween block? These Hackensackers live for it.
A guillotine, killer clowns, clownfish: They've got it all on Clinton Place.
By
James Ramsay
Published Oct 29, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. ET
Owl pellets and period equity: What's happening at NYC's public libraries this November
Also: Books!
By
Alec Hamilton
Arts & Entertainment
Owl pellets and period equity: What's happening at NYC's public libraries this November
Also: Books!
By
Alec Hamilton
How the Village Halloween Parade keeps its soul
By
Hannah Frishberg
'You Can See Everything' … as long as you go to Staten Island
By
Sonia Rao
Inside the hidden chamber that controls Lincoln Center's magnificent fountain
By
Sonia Rao
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .