On Saturday, January 17, 2009 the New Orleans Opera Company celebrated the reconstruction of the Performing Arts Center with the Domingo Gala and the naming of the rebuilt stage in his honor. As the oldest male member of the chorus, I reminded Placido that I had sung with him when I made his New Orleans Debut in 1962. I had the incorrect notion that it had been his first time to sing in the United States, but he informed me that he had sung in Dallas, Texas the previous year. It was a great honor to shake his hand, chat with him briefly and have my picture taken with him. I had done the same at the Gala in 2006, shortly after Hurricane Katrina, but this was even more special. We were able to thank him in a small way for his support after the storm, and the audience was overcome with emotion as he told how he loved New Orleans and was forever grateful for the numerous times he was asked to sing here early on in his career. Each of the other soloists this night (and in the earlier Gala) received thunderous applause after spectacular performances, but the audience went wild whenever Domingo returned to the stage. He sang nine times in all; several solos, duets and an encore (Granada). The chorus sang selections in German, Russian, French and (yes) English. Check out the web site (http://www.neworleansopera.org/placido-domingo.html)for the listing of the soloists. Truly, a once in a lifetime experience of glorious music, gloriously sung and played. The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra was conducted by both Maestros Prieto and Lyall (at separate times). Patricia Clarkson, the movie actress from New Orleans, was M.C. for the evening.