Ricky Martin rules. His is the top name in the announcement from the Los Angeles Opera for the March 21 gala welcoming Placido Domingo as artistic director. This is not a drill: a true story. The press release has the company's letterhead. Also ran: Frederica von Stade, Catherine Malfitano, Jennifer Larmore, Ruth Ann Swenson, Julia Migenes, Samuel Ramey. "More than a billion television viewers in 187 countries felt the full force of Rickymania when he performed at the 41st annual Grammy Awards" a week ago, the opera announcement goes loca over Ricky. (Just asking: was it him singing a duet with Elton John?) Conductors for the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion gala: Valery Gergiev, Kent Nagano, Esa-Pekka Salonen, and John Williams. Janos Gereben/SF, CA [log in to unmask]