Thursday, September 28, 2006
Butterfly
Madama Butterfly, saw it a few years back. . . I was not feeling all that well when I went, the soprano was Guleghina, a talented singer. By the time the opera was over, I was indifferent to the opera. In fact, I was a little board. So when the Metropolitan Opera’s opening night gala was a new production of Butterfly, I could have cared less.
Max talked me into going by persuading me to get cheaper tickets. I became much more excited about the event itself, if not the opera, knowing that it would be a star-studded event after reading that the new general manager’s rolodex would be working.
So when I arrived at Lincoln Center on Monday to a swarm of paparazzi, tuxidos, rich people, champaign and pomp and circumstance, I was glad to have gone. Inside the Met was gleaming and a Japanese maple tree was placed in the center of the spiral staircases to commemorate this new Butterfly. Outside the house, swarms of people were in the plaza to watch the broadcast and Times Square was closed so the opera could be viewed from the Sony billboards.
It was cool. . . then the opera began.
It was amazing. The soprano was marvelous, the production was brilliant simplicity, and the singing – oh the singing – was wonderful. The second act, when Butterfly is hopelessly wating for her American husband who had abandoned her for an American bride, ripped your heart out. The act ended with a humming chorus that brought tears to my eyes, and many others around me (lots of sniffles).
The death of butterfly, is difficult to pull off. Her husband finally returns and an estatic Butterfly soon learns he’s now married and has returned to get the son she bore him. “One who cannot live with honor must die with it.” And she decides to kill herself. Her son walks into the room and she blindfolds him. She stabs herself in the neck.
In this production she kneels down for a little while after striking the fatal wound, wobbles in the middle of the black, empty stage. Two men dressed in black pull two long streams of red fabric from her and they are draped on the floor as a giant slash. She then falls dead. The visual effect was stunning. . . .all Butterfly’s pain was embodied in a red fabric slash through the met’s giant, black stage.
It was amazing.
Did I also mention that I also bumped into Jude Law during intermission?
What a night.
Max talked me into going by persuading me to get cheaper tickets. I became much more excited about the event itself, if not the opera, knowing that it would be a star-studded event after reading that the new general manager’s rolodex would be working.
So when I arrived at Lincoln Center on Monday to a swarm of paparazzi, tuxidos, rich people, champaign and pomp and circumstance, I was glad to have gone. Inside the Met was gleaming and a Japanese maple tree was placed in the center of the spiral staircases to commemorate this new Butterfly. Outside the house, swarms of people were in the plaza to watch the broadcast and Times Square was closed so the opera could be viewed from the Sony billboards.
It was cool. . . then the opera began.
It was amazing. The soprano was marvelous, the production was brilliant simplicity, and the singing – oh the singing – was wonderful. The second act, when Butterfly is hopelessly wating for her American husband who had abandoned her for an American bride, ripped your heart out. The act ended with a humming chorus that brought tears to my eyes, and many others around me (lots of sniffles).
The death of butterfly, is difficult to pull off. Her husband finally returns and an estatic Butterfly soon learns he’s now married and has returned to get the son she bore him. “One who cannot live with honor must die with it.” And she decides to kill herself. Her son walks into the room and she blindfolds him. She stabs herself in the neck.
In this production she kneels down for a little while after striking the fatal wound, wobbles in the middle of the black, empty stage. Two men dressed in black pull two long streams of red fabric from her and they are draped on the floor as a giant slash. She then falls dead. The visual effect was stunning. . . .all Butterfly’s pain was embodied in a red fabric slash through the met’s giant, black stage.
It was amazing.
Did I also mention that I also bumped into Jude Law during intermission?
What a night.
Friday, September 15, 2006
Iconoclast reform
A new season opens at the Metropolitan Opera in a couple of weeks. Max, myself and his mother have tickets for opening night. And in the New York Times today reports what a star-studded event this will be:
“A bevy of stars — some invited by Mr. Gelb himself, to lend luster to the evening — have said they will come.
They include Mikhail Baryshnikov, Sean Connery, Goldie Hawn, Anjelica Huston, Iman, David Bowie, Meg Ryan, Al Roker, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins and an offstage Soprano, James Gandolfini. Major figures in the performing arts world, too, have said they are coming.”
So expect me to rub elbows with these folks next Monday – I’ll let you know how it is (as if I wouldn’t). But for those that are not inside, you will have something to watch that night – it will be broadcast live in Time Square and in the Lincoln Center plaza. This is all part of the push from the new general manager to expose a temple of high art to the mainstream.
Who know if it’ll work but it will certainly make people watching all the better at the galas.
- - - -
On another note, just got back from Chicago. God I love that city. Seeing old friends, hanging out in the old bars (which I’m beginning to feel a little old in now), and seeing the family are great. Friday night I got in late so I just had a late dinner with Melody, Kira, Neena and Deeter in the burbs by the airport.
Saturday was really something. Went out with Gregg, Neena and Anthony in the city. Drank a lot, ate a lot, laughed a lot.. The real kicker was Sunday night, which I thought would be relatively lame. But a simple dinner turned into doing shots at 1 am and crawling myself into a flight the following morning. So I took the next day off and thought I would recuperate when Melody came to New York on business. Met up with her at Rose’s Turn and drank like the world was ending, the went into work the following day with a near-death hangover. `GOD!!
News to all: Finally got home internet access (instead of stealing my neighbors wireless) and – get this – cable. OMG the world is ending!!! Let the world note that I am connected to the outside world.
“A bevy of stars — some invited by Mr. Gelb himself, to lend luster to the evening — have said they will come.
They include Mikhail Baryshnikov, Sean Connery, Goldie Hawn, Anjelica Huston, Iman, David Bowie, Meg Ryan, Al Roker, Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins and an offstage Soprano, James Gandolfini. Major figures in the performing arts world, too, have said they are coming.”
So expect me to rub elbows with these folks next Monday – I’ll let you know how it is (as if I wouldn’t). But for those that are not inside, you will have something to watch that night – it will be broadcast live in Time Square and in the Lincoln Center plaza. This is all part of the push from the new general manager to expose a temple of high art to the mainstream.
Who know if it’ll work but it will certainly make people watching all the better at the galas.
- - - -
On another note, just got back from Chicago. God I love that city. Seeing old friends, hanging out in the old bars (which I’m beginning to feel a little old in now), and seeing the family are great. Friday night I got in late so I just had a late dinner with Melody, Kira, Neena and Deeter in the burbs by the airport.
Saturday was really something. Went out with Gregg, Neena and Anthony in the city. Drank a lot, ate a lot, laughed a lot.. The real kicker was Sunday night, which I thought would be relatively lame. But a simple dinner turned into doing shots at 1 am and crawling myself into a flight the following morning. So I took the next day off and thought I would recuperate when Melody came to New York on business. Met up with her at Rose’s Turn and drank like the world was ending, the went into work the following day with a near-death hangover. `GOD!!
News to all: Finally got home internet access (instead of stealing my neighbors wireless) and – get this – cable. OMG the world is ending!!! Let the world note that I am connected to the outside world.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Ole’ Cape Cod
Despite my grumbling about what my vacation to the Cape was turning into –a lot of asses from Jersey visiting, a psychotic ex-boyfriend, etc. – I have to say things went really well. Though I was supposed to leave on Saturday, I shortened my overlap with the psycho ex, yet made an appearance on Wednesday –not showing would have been a sign of weakness. When we bumped into each other, it was a non-event. We basically ignored it. I kept my distance from the annoying Jersey clan by hurling a few vapid comments when I arrived to ensure they never came around. It worked.
And so it was basically Rob, Anthony and Visellia that shared the house and had a great time. There was basically a lot of drinking, spending time in the sun, and partying at night. As usual, a good time was had by all. But I had to make something of a spectacle of myself to ensure the errors of this vacation would never be repeated.
