Happy to Have MET You

The past two days have been incredibly productive...in two completely different ways. Last night, I got home from work at about 6:30, unbelievably exhausted from my lack of sleep (which has accumulated slowly but surely over the past 3 months). I decided it was time to catch up - so I went to bed at 8:00 p.m. (yup). And I woke up today at 8:30 a.m. 12 1/2 hours was exactly what I needed.

And it's a good thing I slept that long, because I could not have gotten through the day without it. For tonight, Kelly and I went to the METropolitan Opera to attend a performance of Puccini's Il Trittico. Running time: 4 hours. We left at midnight.

I got in line for the tickets this afternoon at 3:00, waited 3 hours, and purchased the two $20 Orchestra tickets at 6:00. And the performance was absolutely wonderful. I don't know how they do it, but the MET rotates about 4 different productions every week, each with its own separate massive set. Il Trittico is a collection of three one-act operas (Il Tabarro, Suor Angelica, and Gianni Schicchi), so each act had its own elaborate, huge, gorgeous, awe-inspiring set. And in front of each seat there are "MET titles", where one can read the translations. This place is so legit.

All three acts were phenomenal in their own way, but the third was my favorite - it was genuinely hilarious and beautifully presented. Not to mention that at the end, the room in which the whole act was set descended to reveal the roof of the building, set against the skyline of Florence. It was absolutely breathtaking and spectacular. Everything was great: the music, the orchestra, the performances, the sets, the lights, the costumes, the direction. I shouted "Bravo!", "Brava!", and "Bravissimo!" as loud as my lungs would allow.

And if you're wondering: yes, I felt exactly like Cher felt when she went to the MET in "Moonstruck". Except my experience was better: Nicolas Cage didn't come with me.

Statues and Stories

This weekend was chock-full of of good times. Friday was actually strangely eventful. I finally got trained for the patron lounge shift at the Friedman Theatre. (If you'll recall before, my earlier attempt at training was cut short when actor got sick during The Royal Family and the performance was cancelled). Well, this time, everything went as planned...actually, even better than planned. There were a couple celebrities in the house, and to my delight, they stopped by the patron lounge. The first to stop by was Judith Light - I had never heard of her, but she is apparently in "Ugly Betty" and was incredibly nice. During the first intermission, we got a visit from Jenna Fischer of "The Office". Her presence set the patron lounge abustlin' with excitement. She took a few chocolate-covered almonds and some coffee. When she returned for the second intermission, a few people mustered up the courage to talk to her. She was very amicable, but I prefer to keep my distance. This is wondrous job indeed.

With Saturday came a trip to the (in?)famous Metropolitan Museum of Art. The place is HUGE - I think I was in denial about just how much time it would take one to navigate through. We probably saw roughly 15% in just over 3 hours. The Greek and Roman collection was lovely and exquisite, the Africa/Oceania/Americas section had its moments, the Modern Art collection was crizazy (of course) and at times interesting, and the photography showcase was intriguing. Much to our chagrin, the musical instrument collection was temporarily closed. My favorite part, though, was the European Art. There were paintings by Van Gogh, Monet, Seurat, Degas, Picasso, and all of their friends...Although I was disappointed by the distinct lack of the Mona Lisa and Seurat's A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. But we still got to see some amazing stuff, so I'm not complaining. Don't tell the MET, but I may or may not have come very close to destroying a classic Monet painting - I went to point to it and somehow found my finger dragging across. I scurried out of there as fast as I could...hopefully, they'll let me back in some time in the future so I can explore the rest.

And finally, today I had my midterm review with the savvy Dana Tarantino. She thinks I'm doing just swell, but is of the opinion that I need to see fewer shows and get out and see the city a little more. I think I may agree with her. So what did Kelly and I do tonight to change this trend?...We saw Mary Poppins! We got quite possibly the best student rush ever - front row of the mezzanine, close to the center. The show was actually much better than anticipated. The set, particularly the house (complete with an attic and roof that fly in), was awe-inspiring. Our cast was so legit - we had Laura Michelle Kelly, the original Mary Poppins in London, and Broadway star Christian Borle. The musical had some questionable moments (particularly the terrifying life-size stuffed animal nightmare sequence), but the choreography and performances were wondrous. And it doesn't hurt that Mary Poppins flew at the end - not just on the stage, but out into the audience. She came literally within 5 feet of our seats. I felt like a child again.