Mercedes at the Met

Last weekend, socialite Mercedes Bass lived out a lifelong dream, appearing onstage as an extra in the famous café scene of La Boheme, which opened at the Metropolitan Opera on Saturday night. From her box, cheering her on, were friends Barbara Walters, Jayne Wrightsman and Henry Kissinger. And although Bass (attired in full period costume, complete with wig and bonnet) did not sing a note, a source assures us that she “stole the show.”

Bass’s more typical role at the Met is that of its benefactor: in 2006 she and her husband, Sid Bass, donated $25 million to the Met, the largest gift in the opera’s history.

Bass photo by Steve Eichner