Opera Ball!

It was a spectacular gala as the Italian Ambassador transformed his (normally gorgeous) residence, Firenze House, into a fairyland that looked like Tuscany. The gowns were spectacular, the opera singing terrific, and the A-list crowd included Chief Justice Roberts, Kennedy Center chair David Rubenstein, gala chair Connie Milstein, countless ambassadors who hosted dinners at their homes earlier, business leaders, and Obama officials.

We snapped Newt Gingrich and his wife Calista who tell us they were headed to Italy the next day to sing with their choir, including many recent high school grads whod never been out of the country; shes excited to show them Rome, one of her favorite cities.

Vice President Biden seems to be everywhere these days. (Is he running for something?) He said although hes Irish, Jill (far right) is Italian, and the only job she ever wanted him to have was US Ambassador to Italy. We snapped him surrounded by the evenings gracious hosts, Italian Ambassador Claudio Bisogniero and his wife Laura, who are sponsoring the Year of Italian Culture in the US, with over 200 events in cities all across the country.

Deputy Energy Secretary Dan Poneman is surrounded by his wife, floral designer and owner of Heavenly Hydrangeas Susan Poneman, and by former Portuguese Ambassador Elizabeth Bagley. Although everyone had previously eaten dinner, the Italians offered pasta and risotto, platters of prosciutto and cured meats and cheeses, and tables groaning with pastries and Italian desserts like panna cotta.

Media maven Tammy Haddad, who gives THE brunch each year during White House Correspondents Dinner week-end, chairwoman of Friends of Cancer Research Ellen Sigal, her husband construction magnate Gerry Sigal, former General Dynamics CEO Jay Johnson, and his wife SNR Dentons'Sydney McNiff Johnson.

Verizons Kevin McDermott, Tiffanys VP Diane Brown, ComScore VP Jodi McDermott, and Meridian Property principal Leonard Brown ate a scrumptious dinner at the Belgian Ambassadors residence, and loved it all, especially the chocolates.