It’s not the society reporting we’re used to reading, but the Washington National Opera Midwinter Gala is hardly alone in deglamorizing itself this year. “After Wall Street tanked and corporations stopped writing checks, gala organizers were forced to scale back everything from ticket prices (slashed from $1,000 to $500) to decor and centerpieces: flickering lanterns and artful veggies — headed to a food bank at the end of the night — instead of fresh flowers.”