Well, I’m back from my opera experience. And the verdict is in. If you read my blog yesterday titled “We Aria What We Meet,” then you know that I was quite excited about attending my first opera by way of a unique cinematic opportunity. It turns out the fat lady will continue singing. My friend and I are already planning on making a return trip this fall to one of the first-run productions featured as part of the Live at the Met series offered through Fathom Events. In fact, being the big Mozart and Amadeus fan that I am, I’m already campaigning to my friend that we choose The Marriage of Figaro which is on the schedule.
But last night’s operatic adventures were not without their bizarre moments. In fact, there were times when my friend and I had near out-of-body experiences we laughed so hard. Yes, the operetta The Merry Widow was a comedy but the heartiest laughs of the night came from the technical glitches that seemed to plague our evening. When the show was supposed to begin, we instead were greeted by this on the screen:
Then after thoroughly enjoying nearly three acts of delicious music, costume and set design, the show neared its conclusion, and like THAT! The screen went blank. We could hear the actors continue to speak their lines but we could no longer see the visual. We waited momentarily and my friend got up to notify the management and ta-da! An image appeared back on the screen. But the fun was only beginning.
You see, the audio continued with the concluding minutes of the story and soon moved into its final number and rousing production musical send-off but instead of seeing the impressive cast and set we were now seeing the earlier pre-show feature entertainment which meant a smiling Maria Menounos with the backdrop of this operetta before us.
And then it happened. Just as the music swelled and I could envision an elaborate final dance number sweeping across the stage, the visual in front of us switched to this…
Like clockwork, my friend and I immediately snapped our head to the side to look at each other and burst into laughter as this classic theater concession video flashed across the screen to the rousing sounds of the Metropolitan Opera. Others in the audience were joining us in raucous laughter (well, all but the ones who were looking back in disgust at the empty projection room where the whole debacle had taken place).
But the fun didn’t stop there. Ooooooooooh no. The best was yet to come.
So as we struggled to regain our composure and strain to understand what was happening in the final moments of the production though completely distracted by the hilarity before us, the video footage changed yet again and the next sight finally finished us off.
Twerking little people.
If I could include a visual here, I would. In a heartbeat. I have no idea what show the scenes were from but apparently this reality show captured the slice of life mayhem in the lives of a group of well…little people. And that included a very vivid and quite jaw-dropping twerking scene. And it just happened to run during the conclusion of The Merry Widow.
That was it. My friend and I lost it. I cannot speak for her but I do believe if I had agreed to a second beer at dinner before the movie, I would be telling a much different story courtesy of my over-exerted bladder. I can’t remember the last time I laughed so hard. Even when I simply reflect on last night, I start bursting into giggles.
I will never see the words The Merry Widow without immediately seeing these other words in my head, too — Twerking. Little. People.
I had no idea opera could be so…so…so… interesting. Heh. I cannot wait to see what our next opera experience will bring. Waltzing wiener dogs? Ballroom butchers? Tapdancing toddlers? Sigh. The possibilities are endless. ~ Chris
There is something to be said about trying something new. Opera is a territory that many shy away from, I know I have for all these years and it was time to dip my toe in and see if I liked the opera waters. We both had this expectation of being entertained in some way regardless if we decided to go for a round two or not. So it was an evening that will go down in the memory books for sure. I did indeed enjoy The Merry Widow…however the twerking little women in bikinis and frolicking in a hot tub as a visual during the closing act will go down in history as the best ending ever. The tears of laughter that we shed were a bonus and I will never forget my first opera with my amazing friend.
We certainly had ourselves an adventure, didn’t we? Lol. I wouldn’t want anyone else sitting there beside me throughout the beautiful music and raucous laughter. Thanks for joining me, my friend. xo ~ Chris