San Francisco Symphony's Opening Gala 2

It's much easier being male than female at these gala events, because you don't have to worry about what to wear as long you own a simple tuxedo, and the lines to the bathroom aren't as grotesquely long.



Local press titans were represented by the Hearst Corporation's Phil Bronstein (above) who seemed to be ignoring his statuesque date...



...and Bay Area Reporter publisher Tom Horn (above, with the glasses).



Cedric, the outrageously tall Frenchman who writes about classical music for SFist, was having a good time with his wife Yumiko. (Click here for a fine review by Cedric of the previous evening's "Tannhauser.")



Also in attendance were what Armistead Maupin used to call "A-Gays" in his old "Tales of the City" series...



...and even a welcome appearance by Marlena (above), the Hayes Valley drag bar owner who is equally at home in a tuxedo and a gown.



There was a symphony concert in the middle of all this involving Renee Fleming, the new Queen of the Opening Night Galas, but I'll leave Joshua Kosman at the Chronicle to write about that. Let's just hope he wasn't feeling as grumpy as the previous evening when he was seeing "Tannhauser" at the opera. ("Do you think he had a bad appetizer over at Breezy's?" my friend Charlie asked.)



After the concert, everyone was invited to a party next door in the large, lavishly decorated tent where many of the guests were hungrily grabbing at a variety of hors d'oeuvres, though it wasn't as bad as the Macy's Passport show according to Beth Spotswood (click here).



The space soon became claustrophobic...



...so many of us repaired to City Hall...



...which was lit up purple on the outside for some reason...



...and a lurid red inside the rotunda.



A dance band was playing in the North Light Court...



...and after a martini, I crawled home at midnight.