Long before I began acting, I believed that Opera was the ultimate form of stage art. Now that I understand the craft of acting, I am even more convinced.
Here in the City it has been years, maybe decades since I last attended. It has been a choice due to price; one can feed a family of four for a week for the price of one ticket.
One day a couple of months ago, I sponsored a fellow actor for a role in a play. As a thank you, as he is an opera supernumerary, he offered me one of his discount tickets. I accepted. This evening, when I appeared at the box office to collect my ticket for Don Pasquale, I had been assigned a low letter, center orchestra seat. The Metropolitan Opera house seats in 5 tiers, I was on the floor with the wealth who shell out the big bucks for season tickets and I LOVED IT. More than that, I was transported. The casting was divine the voices, the likes of which I have not heard in years. There were two! encores — that I have never experienced and at the curtain, with the audience all on their feet, the curtain calls were many and long. I want to go again!!!!
The exterior of the Lincoln Center Opera House
The Stage – height is at least 100 feet [could not find exact number]
This is one side of the house, five tiers and seating capacity for 3,788 bodies.
Oh, and these. it used to be – truly in the olden days t- that the super titles were above the stage, now they are more explicit and on the seat back right in front of each person.
The choice of language is English, German, Spanish, Italian….It had been a loooong time!
In my effusive thank you to Matthew, I asked him if I could go again! He is going to see if there are any more tickets for this season. I can now leave this life in peace…..