Jane Fonda (85) was Richard Lugner’s (90) star guest at this year’s Vienna Opera Ball, which was taking place for the 65th time. “It’s extraordinary, I’m glad that Mr. Lugner invited me,” said Jane Fonda, according to the “Kronen Zeitung” last Thursday evening, enthusiastic about the major social event in Austria. Traditionally, the opera ball, which attracted 5,150 guests to the State Opera, was opened by couples of debutantes and ballet performances. “You don’t see this kind of dancing in my country,” explained Fonda after the opening, according to the “Kronen Zeitung”.
The Hollywood actress arrived at the ball in a champagne-colored gown that she said made her “feel like Cinderella.” At midnight she will return her dress and jewelry because everything is only borrowed, the 85-year-old explained. She also has to go to bed early because she has an early flight. Fonda combined gold-colored pumps with small heels, a champagne-colored clutch and sparkling diamond hoop earrings with the high-necked midi dress with long sleeves, a floral ornamental print and a flared skirt. Lugner was happy about his choice in the evening: “She’s a great guest.”
Before the event, Richard Lugner’s star guest had caused a stir because, according to “Bild”, Fonda did not want to get into Lugner’s limousine and would rather do her own program. “I asked her if she would dance with me. Then she said: We’re going to the opera, you can’t dance there,” the newspaper quoted Lugner as saying. “Until yesterday she didn’t know that it was an opera ball and not an opera.”
Other star guests at this year’s ball included “Sex and the City” star Chris Noth (68), actress Mariella Ahrens (53), model Barbara Meier (36) and her husband, the Austrian entrepreneur Klemens Hallmann, presenter Katja Burkard (57) and her husband, the Austrian media manager Hans Mahr (73), or artist Lili Paul-Roncalli (24), who appeared in a red dream robe and sparkling jewelry from Swarovski.
