Music by George Frideric Handel, Libretto by William Congreve, Performed by Elizabeth Futral. I went to go see Semele tonight at the NYC Opera. It was interesting to say the least. This being my first English written opera to go see, it became clear to me for the remaining need of the sur-title board just before it lost all meaning to me again.
Last night I met up with Jim, my old design professor from my University in Oklahoma, who was in town with a few of his students and we took in a show at the Gershwin theatre called Wicked, the untold story of the witches of Oz.
So everyone arrives at the apartment and we have wine, snacks and make conversation with plenty of time before the show starts, eventually leaving confidently to go to the theatre to see The Producers. Nick said he bought all the tickets in April so I assume it’s hard to get tickets unless it’s well in advance for the show.
Going again to the Sydney Opera House tonight to see the Lord of the Rings Symphony. A going away gift to ourselves before we have to leave this beautiful country in a few short months. Final decisions were made this week and Jules and I are both headed to NYC in September!
The performance is sold out and Howard Shore will be there to conduct. Katie Noonan will be singing “Into the West” originally performed by Annie Lennox in the film.
You walk in, take your seat in the colorful theatre, you wait for the crowd to stop talking and for the show to start. The lights go out and a single large woman (Rafiki) dressed in funny rags and paint with a mighty voice starts singing the familiar opening theme…
“Nan ts’ngonya ma bakithi baba sithi hm ingonya”
We Went to a performance of the famous Opera Madama Butterfly this weekend. It was interesting and different from what I expected. Luckily, they displayed subtitles above the stage so you know what they are saying. The story takes place in Imperial Japan, with an American military soldier, all singing in Italian.
It was the eve before last at the Sydney Opera House that I did partake in a play that was written over 400 years ago by a man known as Shakespeare. The play, be it well performed, was a comedy that was without question humorous, entertaining, and thoughtful.
All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages…
Julie and I went to the Sydney Opera House again last night to watch a performance of Beethoven’s 5th Symphony as performed by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Now I can say that all of the classical music I know didn’t just come from Bugs Bunny cartoons.
What a great thing, to be able to just plan a night out after a day of work for the Symphony, or an Opera, or a play… or something besides a movie and an overpriced coke. Afterwards, to be able to walk around the city with such great views and the hustle of the city going on around you and being lost in the whole thing. I am most definatly, a big city person at heart.