[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 78 (Friday, May 23, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7129-S7130]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
BETTY BROWN CASEY
Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, Washington is, without a doubt, one of the
most beautiful cities in our country. It is also a city rich in history
and cultural advantages.
Many people have, over the years, added to Washington's achievements
and glories. One very special person who has done that is Betty Brown
Casey. I have had the opportunity to meet Mrs. Casey because my wife,
Marcelle, serves on the Board of the Washington Opera. Mrs. Casey has
been one of the greatest supporters the Washington Opera has ever known
On Sunday, April 13, Mrs. Casey threw a party for the Washington
Opera. This will go down as one of the greatest and most memorable
parties thrown in this city. Marcelle and I were fortunate to attend,
and when we left Washington before dawn the next morning, we had the
joy of reading Roxanne Roberts' article about Mrs. Casey, titled
``Phenom of the Opera.''
I hope my fellow Senators will enjoy this as much as I did, and I ask
unanimous consent that this article about this extraordinarily generous
woman be printed in the Congressional Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
[From the Washington Post, Apr. 14, 2003]
Phenom of the Opera; Patron Betty Brown Casey Gives a Party
(By Roxanne Roberts)
As fairy godmothers go, Betty Brown Casey is pretty nice to
have on your team.
The low-key philanthropist has a passion for the Washington
Opera, a passion that has translated into millions in
donations and support for the organization. Last night Casey
threw a gala concert for 2,500 fellow lovers of the opera--
and picked up the entire tab herself.
``We're here to say thank you to all of you for all the
years in the Washington Opera family,'' she told the
audience. Casey ticked off a list of the thankees:
Volunteers, staff, board members, subscribers and ``those of
you who sat--year after year--quietly, patiently and
resignedly, in seats next to those who loved opera--and you
didn't. ``Long-suffering husbands in tuxedos broke into huge
grins as knowing laughter rippled through DAR Constitution
Hall.
The program included mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves, soprano
Veronica Villarroel, bass Rene Pape, conductor Valery Gergiev
and the Three Mo' Tenors. (Artistic Director Placido Domingo
was scheduled to conduct and sing at the gala, but was
sidelined by stomach flu.)
``Tonight is wonderful,'' said Betty Vertiz, a Washington
Opera subscriber since the 1960s. ``We even like our seats!''
Three generations of her family attended the gala: husband
Oscar Vertiz, his daughter Virginia Cameron and granddaughter
Carrie Gouskos. ``It's nice for people who are faithful to
the opera to feel they're appreciated,'' she said.
All because Casey wanted to do ``something nice'' after the
risky move to Constitution Hall, the Washington Opera's
temporary home this year while the Kennedy Center Opera House
undergoes renovations. The cost of last night's soiree?
``It's a private party,'' she demurred, but a savvy eye would
chalk up seven figures.
``She's been the absolute soul of the company,'' Domingo
said last week. ``She always wants to do more and thank
anybody who's been involved with the company in any
capacity.''
Casey, sitting nearby, flushed with embarrassment. The
philanthropist shrinks from anything that smacks of self-
promotion, and agreed to speak to a reporter only to
highlight the contributions of everybody else.
``It's just that this company went through some hard times
and there were many, many people who worked very hard to not
only keep us going and to make us better and better over the
years. I just felt it was a good time to say thank you to
Placido--who has been the real spark plug for everything that
has happened to us--and to everybody. We really feel like a
family, so I felt we should have a family reunion.''
Casey, 75, has had a soft spot for opera since she was a
teenager. ``I just love the music,'' she said with a smile.
``I get into the music and I'm just there. Terrible as it may
seem, Placido, there are times when I don't care who's
singing. I just love the music.''
Luckily for the opera, Casey is in a position to nurture
that love. After 31 years of marriage to legendary Maryland
developer Eugene Bernard Casey, she inherited an estate of
more than $200 million when he died in 1986. She has led a
very private life since then, quietly doling out donations to
her pet projects.
``I just think that everybody in life does what they can
do,'' she said. ``I'm naturally shy, and I'm just more
comfortable when people don't think I do anything--because I
don't feel like I do. I only do things that I really believe
in, I only do things that I can afford, and I don't do things
I ask other people to give to. I don't start something and
then ask other people to give me money to do that project. So
I don't try to bother anybody, so to speak.''
``Betty knows, and some of us, we know it,'' said Domingo.
``And that's enough.''
Her support is funneled through the Eugene B. Casey
Foundation to the Salvation Army, Suburban Hospital, George
Washington University and Georgetown University and its
hospital. She generated more than a few headlines when she
offered to build an official residence for the District's
mayor on a 17-acre estate in Northwest Washington, and
created a $50 million endowment to plant and tend the city's
trees.
Casey has a special affection for the Washington Opera. She
joined the board in 1974 and has been a member ever since;
she now holds the title of life chairman. In 1996, she spent
$18 million to buy the Woodward & Lothrop building with the
idea of converting it into a state-of-the-art opera house in
the heart of downtown Washington. When the opera decided to
remain at the Kennedy Center instead, the company was allowed
to sell the building and keep the profits.
``She's terrific,'' said Opera President Michael
Sonnenreich. ``She's stepped up and exhibited a leadership
role for the opera beyond financial. She's setting examples
for others to follow.''
Last night's gala comes after the company's successful move
to Constitution Hall--an artistic experiment that, so far,
has generated praise from critics and subscribers alike.
The evening began with a standing ovation for Casey, who
thanked everyone who had contributed to the success of the
47-year-old company. She asked for whistles, bravos and
bravas for two individuals who had carried the opera during
the tough times: former general director Martin Feinstein and
longtime board member Christine Hunter.
The program was full of familiar material--and a few
surprises. The strongest applause came for Pape, who sang two
arias for
[[Page S7130]]
his Washington debut: ``Le veau d'or'' from Gounod's
``Faust,'' and ``Ella giammai m'amo'' from Verdi's ``Don
Carlo.'' Tenor John Matz had his role unexpectedly expanded
when he filled in for Domingo in ``Granada.'' Washington
native Graves had the widest repertoire, with a French aria
and an American spiritual, and the Three Mo' Tenors were also
all over the map with the classic ``La donna e mobile''
followed by ``Let the Good Times Roll.''
The good times kept rolling after the concert, when 300
guests joined Casey for dinner and dancing at the
Organization of American States across the street. The grand
ballroom was lavishly decorated with spring bouquets, Peter
Duchin kept the dance floor hopping, and the speeches were
short but sincere. ``I am so impressed by Betty,'' said
Washington Opera Chairman Jim Kimsey. ``Without her the opera
would not be what it is today.''
The hostess was characteristically low-key about the
evening. ``I thought it was wonderful, really great,'' she
said, ``Perfect, really, except for Placido'' not being here.
Washington Post music critic emeritus Joseph McLellan
contributed to this report.
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