Many of us write at this time of year about the things for which we are thankful.
This was a particularly wonderful Thanksgiving. My marching band performed to their full potential at the final Demarest-Old Tappan game (next year I’ll be home for the first time in 30 years!), I was able to share a wonderful Thanksgiving meal with my mom, Helen, and Tim at the Tschirhart’s, and we went to see the Met’s beautiful production of La Bohème.
I think I have come to appreciate and enjoy opera more and more as I’ve gotten older. Maybe it’s my perspective of production, after all these years of producing musical theater. Or maybe it’s because I have finally learned to listen more patiently. For whatever reason, it’s just an amazing experience. We decided to take my mom, Helen, to see Bohème after seeing Nebucco in October. So, we decided to “pull out all the stops.” We ordered dinner at the Grand Tier restaurant, and enjoyed entrees at the first intermission, coffee & dessert at the second intermission. Pricey — I admit — but glorious. I heartily recommend this combination if you go.
My post-graduate clarinet teacher, Ben Armato, played in the pit for the Met for over 30 years. For me, one of the amazing facets of going to the Met is to watch and listen, and imagine what it may have been like for him for all those years. He would travel to Manhattan for a daytime rehearsal, return home to Westchester to teach private students and eat dinner with his family, then return to the Met for an evening performance of a different opera. It’s amazing to think about the amount of repertoire that Ben, and other the members of the company, juggle on a weekly basis during the season.
The other thing that amazes me is the sheer physicality of the singers. These dynamic artists project in the cavernous space of the Met without any amplification at all, soaring over the 50+ piece orchestra. In this age of technology, when sound boards and microphones are used for just about every speaker and singer imaginable, I truly appreciate what these vocalists do on an ongoing basis, and the training necessary to prepare them for this career.
So I encourage anyone reading to seek out a Met Opera performance. You don’t have to spend your inheritance to attend. There are rush seats available on the day of the performance, and honestly, the seats at the top of the house still have great views and sound. If you can’t get to Manhattan, take advantage of the HD Live and Encore performances available across the country in area movie theaters. The production values of the HD broadcasts are very high, and they truly bring the dynamics of the live production to your local theater.
All the best to you on this Thanksgiving weekend.
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