Partyhopper

Spring is barely upon us and the social season is already in full swing. So last week, after pulling one of my party dresses out of hibernation, I headed to the Metropolitan Opera House to attend the opening night gala performance of Donizetti's La Fille du Regiment. The evening was hosted by fashion house Yves Saint Laurent, which meant that guests like Leighton Meester, Eva Mendes and Ginnifer Goodwin worked the white carpet like it was a runway before heading inside for an elegant pre-performance supper. YSL designer Stefano Pilati brought Naomi Campbell as his special guest, and I couldn't wait to catch up with her.

Naomi makes dinner conversation with Diane Kruger and Joshua Jackson.

Photo by Sherly Rabbani and Josephine Solimene

At last year's Cinema Against AIDS gala in Cannes I was seated next to Naomi, who turned out to be a terrific table-mate. On this night, it was hot couple Joshua Jackson and Diane Kruger who shared dinner conversation with the supermodel. From my seat right behind them--that's me with the arrow over my head--I waited for the right moment to say hello.

Naomi was as sweet as I remembered her. When I asked her if she'd ever join the list of celebrities who have tried to cross over into the music business, she just laughed. But she did reveal that she's dreamed of being a dancer since the tender age of five. You may have seen her show off some of her best moves--and her great legs--in the recent Thriller-inspired commercial for SoBe Life Water. "I never thought I'd get Michael [Jackson's] steps right," she confessed about shooting the ad. "I actually thought I was being punked."

Later, the cultured crowd headed inside for the main event, starring Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Florez. After receiving a standing ovation from the star-studded audience, Florez gave a rare encore of his thrilling aria, "Ah mes amis," which features nine high C's. Certainly fitting for an evening that hit one high note after another.--Bronwyn Barnes