[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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