Strippers and Desperate Housewives populate Vienna Opera Ball

Feb 1, 2008, 12:39 GMT

US model Dita von Teese, former wife of shock rocker Marylin Manson, at the Vienna Opera Ball at the \'Wiener Staatsoper\' in Vienna, Austria on 31 January 2008. Dita von Teese is this year\'s guest at the Vienna Opera Ball. EPA/ARNO BURGI

Vienna - The Opera Ball, Vienna's annual waltz-fest that is the society event of the season, opened Thursday dominated by football, glam strip and talk of its steady decline as a celebrity magnet.

The upcoming Euro 2008 European Football Championships to be co- hosted by Austria and Switzerland in June threw its shadow on the official Opera Ball opening, with dancers engaging in an extravagantly choreographed modern 'football-et'.

But the interest of the approximately 5,500 guests, who were dressed up to the nines, and the scores of journalists was focused on burlesque queen Dita von Teese and US-actress Teri Hatcher from the hit series Desperate Housewives.

The glam stripper, dressed in elegant grey, attended the ball as the guest of Vienna socialite Richard 'Mortar' Lugner and had Austrian media waxing about her stylish appearance.

Desperate Housewife Hatcher, whose visit was announced at the last minute, attended the ball as the private guest of an Austrian investment company.

Opera stars Jose Carreras and Anna Netrebko and human rights activist Bianca Jagger, ex-wife of rocker Mick Jagger, were among the few other international celebrities spotted at the 52-year-old event once drew Europe's Who's Who.

Ball organizer Desiree Treichl-Stuergkh put delicate efforts in bringing fresh wind into the slightly outmoded event, setting up a red carpet entrance and giving the ball an overall gentle face-lift.

Organizers expect about 1.1 million euro (1.6 million dollars) profits from the fully sold-out event. Tickets start at 230 euros (342 dollars), a private box costs more than 10,000 euros (about 15,000 dollars).

Security was tight, with around 700 police officers protecting the waltzing crowd from a handful of protesters who had gathered in nearby streets.