At the Met Opera's opening night, it's often the stars in the audience walking the red carpet that get all the attention, but this time it isn’t necessarily so.
The cast of Porgy and Bess including soprano Angel Blue as Bess bucked tradition and also walked the carpet for an enthusiastic crowd.
"I think it's the music, I think it's the Met, I think it’s really a celebration of American opera this evening and I think that's why people are more interested in us tonight as the opera singers," she told us.
Of course the celebs also got and showed plenty of love, including actor Laverne Cox.
"So opening night at the Met is a huge fantasy. I was at the Emmys last night and left early and went home and went on the red eye to be here."
For many the draw is the classic Gershwin score and this show's celebration of African American voices including Principle Ballerina Misty Copeland. "To be able to be at the Met and to have a black cast I just think it's an amazing moment for artists and for someone who speaks about the lack of diversity it's so important for me to be here to support my peers," she said.
Porgy and Bess tell the story of the hardscrabble title characters on catfish row... the disabled porgy and the tormented woman he loves, Bess. Developed from a novel that became a play and eventual a groundbreaking musical by George and Ira Gershwin in the 1930's, It contains some of the best known songs in the cannon.
It's been almost 30 years since it was staged here.
"I deliberately put it in the pole position because it is the greatest American opera. I've been working on this for 14 years this is my 14th season as general managers and from the beginning I wanted to do porgy and Bess," General Manager Peter Gelb said.
And like they've done for the past 14 years, the season opener was simulcast in Times Square.
So much excitement for opening night but also the season with many people saying this production will attract a lot of people who might not otherwise come to the opera.