Kathryn, do NOT be jealous of me going to the opera. It was weird. They were wearing these bulky animal costumes and clonking boots which might have been okay except that their footsteps drowned out the sound of the orchestra (Oh look! A band!). The plot was supposed to be about the circle of life or something deep, but it really seemed to be more about animals getting it on. It was an opera, though, so plot really shouldn't matter as long as the music is good.
It wasn't.
I mean, it wasn't BAD - but most of the singing was monotonous, the orchestration was unremarkable, and I hope to heaven no one from the production reads this. It would be so disheartening! They were all skillful - I just wasn't interested in the piece itself. But then, I have only ever seen very classical sorts of pieces. The Marriage of Figaro. Samson and Delilah. And I was listening to Puccini before leaving the house! What do you do?
But then again, I was distracted by my seating companion. Five soft seats away, sat Michael York. Yes! Yesyesyes. Yorkyorkyork. Apparently, he's a patron of the our city's opera. Which totally makes me want to be a patron too, even though I didn't like the performance. The things we will suffer...
By the way, Kathryn, if you look through photos of Mr York on imdb, you will find some that remind one remarkably of Caleb. Check it out.
It wasn't.
I mean, it wasn't BAD - but most of the singing was monotonous, the orchestration was unremarkable, and I hope to heaven no one from the production reads this. It would be so disheartening! They were all skillful - I just wasn't interested in the piece itself. But then, I have only ever seen very classical sorts of pieces. The Marriage of Figaro. Samson and Delilah. And I was listening to Puccini before leaving the house! What do you do?
But then again, I was distracted by my seating companion. Five soft seats away, sat Michael York. Yes! Yesyesyes. Yorkyorkyork. Apparently, he's a patron of the our city's opera. Which totally makes me want to be a patron too, even though I didn't like the performance. The things we will suffer...
By the way, Kathryn, if you look through photos of Mr York on imdb, you will find some that remind one remarkably of Caleb. Check it out.
Crap. I had to look up Michael York. I so don't belong at the opera.
ReplyDelete(I almost peed my pants!)
Apparently I should have read this post before posting my other comment.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry you say that, Emily, because I was going to ask if you wanted to go see Carmen in Santa Barbara come March. I have been wanting to see Carmen since I was thirteen. I think it's cuz something inside me wishes I was a sexy gypsy lady. That, and the music is amazing.
ReplyDeleteDavid Michael, I am glad you found the opera to be cute. I can see how it might have been cute had I been less prepared for arias and floofy dresses and lengthy death scenes. I think my dad kinda liked it, which is odd for him, but my mom would get along well with your sister. It was her first and, in all likelihood, her last opera.
Funny how I don't feel the least bit pretentious discussing this right now.
Maybe I looked up the wrong Michael York... he has been in a million things I haven't heard of and is old. Is that the one??
ReplyDeleteFine. I shall just have to BE in an opera, and then I will stop being jealous. And Carmen is probably one of the sexiest and raciest of operas to go see, so I could see what draws you :)
P.S. I was inspired to listen to Puccini myself. Maria Callas always does him the best justice, especially when singing O Mio Babbino Caro... all girls sing that one, and rarely do it justice, but she does!
ReplyDeleteI would love to see Carmen in Santa Barbara in March! You'll just have to point out the famous people who are there with us. :-P
ReplyDeleteWhen, where, and how much?
Oh, yeah, and I'm with Kathryn. Even after I looked up Michael York I still didn't really know who he is...
ReplyDeleteMichael York is THE BOMB!!!!!
ReplyDeleteFirst and foremost reason being that he was in Cabaret.
Michael York is famous for three things. First, he gave a phenomenal portrayal of Tybalt in Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet. Second, he acted with Liza Minelli in Cabaret and won the hearts of women across the nation (ask your mothers). Third, and less respectably, he played Austin Powers's boss in a number of films I've never seen. The rest of his imdb resume is filled with a number of vocal rolls that may or may not be remarkable. There you go.
ReplyDeleteAh. Well. I obviously wasn't watching all that closely while showing that film to my students a few years ago. I got to watch it six or seven times. And I confess, I've never actually seen Austin Powers. Shame on me, I know...
ReplyDelete