“A standing ovation for merely appearing on stage? Just another Saturday night for Ruth Bader Ginsburg,” writes Veronica Toney in Monday’s (11/14) Washington Post. “The Supreme Court justice and known lover of the arts had a one-night-only performance at the opening of Washington National Opera’s ‘The Daughter of the Regiment.’ … Ginsburg’s Duchess of Krakenthorp [made] her debut in Act II…. ‘I never have a singing part, because I’m a monotone,’ Ginsburg said later…. The duchess gives the young woman some rules for holding a position of rank… Later, the duchess asks to see a birth certificate…. The duchess finishes with this bit of advice: ‘Dropping traditions that have worked and are continuing to work is like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet.’ By this point, many in the audience were on their feet again … and some were whispering to their seatmates about whether this was the original script…. ‘They gave me the script, and I rewrote it with lines that fit me,’ Ginsburg said.” Audience members and guests at the after-party included Newt Gingrich, former CIA head Michael Hayden, former senator Elizabeth Dole, and Swiss Ambassador Martin Dahinden.

Posted November 14, 2016