With a tiered dinner, dancing and cocktails in the midst of a French-inspired atmosphere, Opera Columbus’ annual ball aims for nothing less than sheer elegance.

Following in the footsteps of the Opera’s French theme for the 2006-07 season which featured The Merry Widow, La traviat and will also include Pirates of Penzance this April, Saturday's (March 3) Passion in Paris opera ball will feature French décor, dining and music.

Held within Nationwide Plaza’s atrium, the opera ball is the primary fundraiser for the program aiming to raise funds as well as awareness for Opera Columbus (OC). “Their raising money to promote themselves by building patronage and new interest,” says Rebecca Sharlow, a member of the Opera Columbus opera ball committee.

According to Sharlow, the OC has been working especially hard gain more supporters in the community after the organization almost ceased last year due to financial instability.

“All the arts struggle. Columbus is a community that is very sports-oriented and because of that, the arts struggle to coexist with the sports,” Sharlow says. “It would be very devastating for a city like Columbus to lose any of their performing arts.”

So in order to maintain its place within the Columbus community, gaining new interest, creating strong educational and outreach programs and working with youth and college students have become primary motives for the Opera.

This year’s Passion in Paris ball will assist these efforts as Opera Columbus aims to charm its guests with a French-inspired menu in the midst of the red, gold and cream colors that French ambiance entails.

Attendees are also expected to enjoy the auctions that will be held at the ball. “They have a live auction which will have some of their larger ticket items for bid,” says Sharlow. For those with little interest in the live event, a silent auction will also be held. All items in the auctions have been donated by various sponsors.

The Opera has also provided a plethora of musical entertainment for guests to enjoy throughout the evening. Featuring live music in the form of a 17-piece, local orchestra that will play throughout the evening and a string ensemble from Otterbein College that will play prior to dinner, guests will have plenty of choices to suit their taste.

Attendees will also have the chance to enjoy a performance from a group of tenors that happen to be in town for the Arnold Fitness Classic.

“It’s usually just a very active, very fun, very peppy evening,” Sharlow says. “It’s just many of Columbus’s finest residents. So we’re very trilled to have all of the corporation’s support and all the resident support from the community.”

For more information or to reserve a ticket, contact Susan Ropp at 614-461-8101, or visit  www.operacolumbus.org.