Well, dear reader, while I’ve now seen many operas on Blu-ray, DVD, YouTube, and elsewhere online, I have actually seen very few operas in person. So, last evening we had us a night at the opera, a production of La Boheme at CSUN in Northridge. One of Sami’s friends, who I used in a couple of Kritzerland shows and the tenth anniversary concert of The Brain from Planet X, was in the ensemble and understudying Mimi. Did Puccini steal La Boheme from the musical Rent? There were many similarities. Oh, wait… First of all, La Boheme has some pretty glorious music. And one has to admire a college that even HAS an opera program. The cast was all students and there were some pretty strong voices, I have to say and have said. The orchestra was also students and it was good – certainly not polished, but good. I’ve found with a lot of the operas I’ve seen on video that no matter who directs there seems to be a lot of meandering around, which is always an issue for me – that was the case here but maybe it’s just an opera thing. The set was basically scaffolding that was more suited to Rent than La Boheme. They projected supertitles but they were so small and dim that I couldn’t read them. But I was impressed that they put this up and that it ran very smoothly. And then there was the audience – the filled the theater, which probably seats four or five hundred. Lots of friends and family and other students. I believe all college theater and music departments should offer a class in how to behave in a theater and not hoot and holler like the audience on American Idol or America’s Got Talent. It’s why I don’t like going to see shows anymore. And at an opera its especially weird and irritating. After the show, I said hi to Samantha Rosenberg (Sami’s friend from high school) and we had a nice chat and she and her boyfriend are coming to the March 19 Kritzerland show.
Of course, operas are long – this one started at seven-thirty, but it was well paced and even with the twenty-minute intermission, we were out before ten. I stopped at Ralph’s on the way home and got a small Boar’s Head sandwich and some honey-roasted almonds, came home, and ate the sandwich.
Yesterday was another strange day. I did get nine hours of sleep, had some telephonic conversations, did stuff on the computer, was very stressed out due to no major miracles, had two tacos from the local jernt I like, shaved and showered, and then, when it was time, moseyed on over to Northridge to see the opera. I got on the 405 freeway going north and there should have been no traffic going that direction but it was bumper to bumper for a half-mile thanks to a Fed Ex truck sitting in the middle lane, broken down. Unbelievable. Once past that, it moved along – slow, but moving. It took about thirty minutes to get there. To get to Ralph’s near me only took twenty minutes with no traffic. And then it was time to write these here notes.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, pray for a major miracle because without one this day will be a five-star disaster. I’ll eat something at some point, and then around five-thirty I’ll have a work session with the pianist for the Kritzerland show. After that, I can watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow, she of the Evil Eye comes, so I’ll be up by eight-thirty and out the door by nine. I’ll have a light breakfast somewhere, do stuff and then come home by noon o’clock. Then I can relax a bit, I think. Sunday can be a ME day, and then next week is book stuff, Monday is the first Kritzerland rehearsal, Thursday is the second Kritzerland rehearsal day, Saturday is stumble-through, and then we do sound check and show on Sunday.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up when I’m up, do whatever needs doing, pray for a major miracle, eat, have a work session, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/Blu and Ray player? I’ll start – don’t know. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have had a night at the opera.