“An opera begins long before the curtain goes up and ends long after it has come down. It starts in my imagination, it becomes my life, and it stays part of my life long after I’ve left the opera house.”
Maria Callas
Just in case you wondered how the Opera went….
Full house, great buzz and excitement.
We are front row of the stalls. That is the VERY front.
Practically next door to the double basses.
Earnest looking fellows but quite pleasing on the eye.
Mary (virgin opera go-er ) spots the TV monitors.Very excited to learn what they are for.
Rhona makes heroic last gasp effort to get to the theatre on time. Wee detour via the Lyceum Theatre.
She sits down as…
the Conductor arrives through the orchestra pit and up to his podium.
Round of applause. Lights dim.
Overture starts. Serious music.
Front curtain (tabs to those in the know) goes up and behind is black curtain with door chalked on. Man appears,
looks around furtively and then moves off stage left.
Quick whispers re who that man was. I think he was Rigoletto, Janet not so sure and Mary thinks it is the Assassin (She has read the programme notes)
All I am saying is that this man had a hump and Rigoletto is a hunchback.
Brighter music. Black curtain rises and behind is a row of crimson red doors. Very jolly.
Stage right, Rigoletto runs on pulling up his trousers. Bare bum within minutes of the show starting.
Bare crinkly bum.
He then looks around (strangely akin to first man who appeared) and then runs off stage left.
The Duke and friend appear through the red doors.
Now this is more like it.
Youthful Federer look-alike (Mary suggesting Roger is moonlighting as an opera singer, playing the Duke. ) Opera, Mary. This is serious stuff.
Roger does some earnest jolly singing which gets steadily more earnest. Wee furrowed brow. His friend sings too but looks worried.
They look directly at the conductor and leave the stage through one of the red doors.
Music grinds to a halt.
Not going to plan, boys?
Conductor shouts for ‘Light please’ .
Pit is in pitch darkness. Musicians bereft of light.
Wee backstage man appears to alert us to the fact that there is no light for the musicians and could we be patient and they would fix it.
No problem. Don’t need to be anywhere.
We have birds eye view of electricians with torches, gadgets and impressive headsets groping around amongst a myriad of instruments and cables trying desperately to get the show on the road whilst displaying a calm demeanour. Verging on a couldn’t care less look.
A few minutes pass and these miracle workers with highly impressive electrical qualifications and top of the range gadgets spot the problem and light is restored.
They put the plug back in the socket.
Hands up who dislodged it on their way to their seat.
No-one?
2nd moment of fame for backstage man.
Eloquently yet earnestly proclaims that light has been restored and the show WILL go on.
Applause and cheering and a general feeling of ‘we are in this together’ and wait ’till we tell the folks back home.
We don’t start RIGHT at the beginning but we do get to see the wrinkly bum again.
“Parsifal – the kind of opera that starts at six o’clock and after it has been going three hours, you look at your watch and it says 6:20”
“Opera is where a guy gets stabbed in the back, and instead of dying, he sings.”
mrsprism 