Last night we enjoyed a lovely evening at Lincoln Center. If you don't know anything about Lincoln Center (as I didn't), it's actually made up of three buildings - the New York State Theatre (which houses the NYC Opera & NYC Ballet, among other things), the Metropolitan Opera House, and Avery Fisher Hall (home to the NY Philharmonic). It was so neat just being there! Most of the patrons were much older & looked oh so refined! The atmosphere alone definitely added to the experience.
Lincoln Center Courtyard with the Metropolitan Opera House in the background
Inside the New York State Theatre (where we saw La Boheme). You can see our seats - they are the very front row center two*!
We saw our first opera this summer in Prague (Samson et Dalila). It was a really cool experience - very different, but neat. The Theatre there was hundreds of years old & just so ornate and decadent! The music was unlike anything either of us had heard before. Granted, it took some getting used to, but even a skeptic would be impressed by the power & emotion behind the music.
NY State Theatre & La Boheme provided us with quite a different take on opera than our first experience. Perhaps it is because we knew more what to expect, or that the culture of American & Czech opera is quite different. Whatever the case, La Boheme was a perfect fit for us. The story was relatable and on the whole, a lighter and more lovely performance. The sets were beautiful with a glowing moon, softly falling snow, and lively restaurant in the Latin Quarter of Paris among my favorite scenes. The music was fantastic and really showed the ranges of the performers - at times very powerful, but at other, so soft they were barely audible. And of course, the harmonies were probably my favorite part! At times they were so moving, you just couldn't help closing your eyes to let your ears feast on the perfect blend between the instruments and voices.
I highly recommend La Boheme if you've never been to the opera and/or don't think you'd enjoy it. If you have seen the musical/movie Rent, the story will seem familiar as Rent is based upon La Boheme (though definitely different eras). So give it a try - you'll stretch your brain & may even enjoy it!
* Side note - So the tickets are another, "we totally scored" story. Our seats usually go for $120 a piece, however, I was able to get them for $25 through NYC Opera's Opera For All program (you just put in the coupon code OFA when you buy your tickets online). Because NYC is ridiculously expensive, it is such a thrill to get a great deal & end up with the best seats in the house!
3 comments:
That sounds wonderful! I've never been to an opera, and would love to go, but can't imagine trying to talk Rob into it...
Hi, I have no idea how I came across your blog while trying to figure out tickets to the opera, but here I am. :) I'm pretty new to NYC and I was just curious how you found out about this Opera For All Program. I just tried your trick of adding "OFA" at checkout but it's invalid. I'm dying to see something...but as a grad student, just can't be bothered to pay full price. :) Any info you have is appreciated. Thanks!
Jerelynn
aboutanhourago@gmail.com
You guys are such savvy New Yorkers! I need to put you in charge of Project Be Less Lame!
Post a Comment