Opera Opening

“Rehearsals, rehearsals, rehearsals!” Placido Domingo claims that’s his formula for physical fitness, however, the maestro took the night off from his nonstop schedule as L.A. Opera’s new artistic director to serve as honorary host at Tuesday’s reception for opera patrons staged at the Chanel Beverly Hills boutique.

While whippet-thin models displayed Karl Lagerfeld’s gowns set off with Chanel’s new fine jewelry collection, Domingo worked the crowd to share his plan to concentrate on works that have not previously been presented by the company starting with “The Queen of Spades,” Tchaikovsky’s opera based on Alexander Pushkin’s tale, that opens Sept. 4.

In some climes, the opening night of the opera traditionally marks the launch of the “social” season-whatever that means in L.A.