The Metropolitan Opera season has officially begun! Let joy be unconfined! Let there be dancing in the streets, drinking in the saloons, and necking in the parlor (to quote Groucho Marx in "A Night at the Opera.") I've been humming Donizetti for the past twenty-four hours, and may not come down from my opera high for some time yet. Last night's
Anna Bolena was a great occasion: there was the frisson of feeling that one was part of an Event; there was the sense of homecoming accompanying the "firsts" of the season: approaching that facade, seeing all the familiar front-of-house faces, and climbing all the stairs before settling into the standing room places at the top of the Family Circle; and most importantly, there was a heck of an opera performance. But before I get to writing up the performance, here are some snapshots of the audience.
The house, ready for the big night!
The stalwart folks in charge of making sure the simulcast functioned properly:
Milling audience members, with sponsorship poster in foreground, broadcasting tent in background:
With a dress like this, I was
sure this lady would have a title... but she was up in the Family Circle among
hoi polloi!
Two very happy audience members: the Beloved Flatmate and me!
For professional photos of famous people,
consult Opera Chic.
Oh, how fun! I wish I could've gone to this. I wanted to go to the opening of the Deutsche Oper for the Ring Cycle, but it's about three hundred euros a ticket, so no chance. And no standing room as far as I can understand. Shade.
ReplyDeleteGlad you had a great time!
SQUEEE!
ReplyDeleteLove love love this turn of events on the usually very scholarly OO!
Fact: The Gentle Writer and the Beloved Flatmate are way cuter than Trebs!
Fact: I want that blue velvet jacket that the dude next to the Gown Lady is wearing!
Question: is it not allowed to take photos inside the Met, in the lobby for ex?
Question: Twitter tells me there was a pair of boots involved in the teaching-cum-gala outfit. True or false.
@Christie Thanks! And, alas! Have you found Berlin opera connections to whom you can talk about the possibilities of student/rush/cheap tickets? Such points are usually moot when it comes to the Ring, anyway, more's the pity.
ReplyDelete@DTO Aw shucks... thanks! Based on happy personal experience, I can say that blue velvet jackets of a similar type can sometimes be found in consignment shops.
It is forbidden to take photos inside the Met (in the lobby is permitted, but the lobby is also small and not particularly photogenic.) Like the Captain of the Pinafore, I haaaardly ever disobey this rule. Last night, though, the crush of people was the chief deterrent... people were so busy seeing and being seen that elbow room was at a premium. Boots were indeed involved: shiny black leather ones with a high heel. :)