Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Dec. 29th, 2010 08:51 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bearshortyI woke up at 5:30 this morning and couldn’t sleep. I needed to get up at 7 to go to the city for my opera today so I gave up on sleep and decided to be productive.
I really didn’t need to go to Manhattan so early, but with snow and traffic I didn’t want to take a chance. I needed to pick up the tickets at the box office at 10am or so. I got to Columbus Circle about 9:30 and spent some time in the bookstore. And there is a Dali exhibit there with interesting statues and some paintings. What I found most interesting is a painting together with a statue of the image in the painting and also lots and lots of clock faces.
Dali at Columbus Circle Mall, New York
I finally went to see the “Magic Flute”- The Julie Taymor production at the Metropolitan Opera that is sung in English and it is pretty short at 100 minutes without an intermission. It is aimed at kids, so it was a matinee at 11am. It is a fairy tale and the costumes are very colorful. I wanted to see this production for a long time. I’ve seen bits of it on TV but I respond to opera more when it is live. There is magic in live music and singing and acting and the audience laughing at the jokes. I really loved the staging and the costumes and the dancing bears. It really captures the magic of the story. And, of course, I looked forward to famous areas like the one by the Queen of Night and it did not disappoint. The woman who played Pamina sang really well and there were lots of bass and baritone voices, which I like.
A few funny moments: there was a little kid nearby who kept asking his dad to clarify everything that was going on, he just kept talking and his father should have kept him more quiet. (It didn’t bother me as much, but it bothered my friend Janna who I invited to go with me.) The funny part came in the scene when Papageno (a comic relief/sidekick) is thinking of hanging himself since he can’t find a wife or anyone to love him. The is this noose flying on stage. The kid goes – “Dad, what is that? What is he doing?” Dad, after a slight pause, “He wants to hang himself since he misses his Papagena” I liked the way the dad just said it.
Also Tamino (the prince) really amused me, since the actor played him as this really naïve guy.
‘Oh, I love this portrait of your daughter, Queen of Night. Of course, I will go rescue her from the evil wizard and kill him. Hello, wizard, you are evil. No, says the wizard, I’m not, the Queen is the evil one, look - sunshine. Yes, the Queen is the one that is evil, I will join you.” The turnaround in motivation for him was just so sudden – like he believes whoever is talking to him. At least he and Pamina went through trials together.
Christmas tree from inside the Metropolitan Opera house
After the opera, I got some Indian food and got tea for Papa and myself. I love tea in Whole Foods. Great options. They have lots of Republic of Tea, which I love. Apricot decaf is yummy.
I was thinking of going to see the Tree at Rockefeller Center but then I thought it might be too crowded. So I went home. I’m really glad I finally got to see this opera.
I was on YouTube listening to some areas from the Magic Flute again and I found a trailer for this: Kenneth Branagh movie of it seemingly set in World War I trenches.
snow in my neighborhood
Tempest Act 5. “brave new world” – I vaguely knew it was from this play. Miranda says it. So Prospero basically scared the others in the other acts and now they are all amazed to see him and they restore his dukedom. Only then does he tell Alonso that his son is alive. Prospero is ready to be merciful even of his brother – which was a bit unexpected. I like how when people wonder what the hell is going on and how all these weird things come about, Prospero is basically “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.” This whole play took place in three hours. Plenty of time for young people to meet and get engaged! And Ariel and other spirits are doing all the work and Prospero is claiming all the magical credit. And in the epilogue, Prospero addresses the audience and breaks the fourth wall. Now I’m ready to see the movie.
I really didn’t need to go to Manhattan so early, but with snow and traffic I didn’t want to take a chance. I needed to pick up the tickets at the box office at 10am or so. I got to Columbus Circle about 9:30 and spent some time in the bookstore. And there is a Dali exhibit there with interesting statues and some paintings. What I found most interesting is a painting together with a statue of the image in the painting and also lots and lots of clock faces.
Dali at Columbus Circle Mall, New York
I finally went to see the “Magic Flute”- The Julie Taymor production at the Metropolitan Opera that is sung in English and it is pretty short at 100 minutes without an intermission. It is aimed at kids, so it was a matinee at 11am. It is a fairy tale and the costumes are very colorful. I wanted to see this production for a long time. I’ve seen bits of it on TV but I respond to opera more when it is live. There is magic in live music and singing and acting and the audience laughing at the jokes. I really loved the staging and the costumes and the dancing bears. It really captures the magic of the story. And, of course, I looked forward to famous areas like the one by the Queen of Night and it did not disappoint. The woman who played Pamina sang really well and there were lots of bass and baritone voices, which I like.
A few funny moments: there was a little kid nearby who kept asking his dad to clarify everything that was going on, he just kept talking and his father should have kept him more quiet. (It didn’t bother me as much, but it bothered my friend Janna who I invited to go with me.) The funny part came in the scene when Papageno (a comic relief/sidekick) is thinking of hanging himself since he can’t find a wife or anyone to love him. The is this noose flying on stage. The kid goes – “Dad, what is that? What is he doing?” Dad, after a slight pause, “He wants to hang himself since he misses his Papagena” I liked the way the dad just said it.
Also Tamino (the prince) really amused me, since the actor played him as this really naïve guy.
‘Oh, I love this portrait of your daughter, Queen of Night. Of course, I will go rescue her from the evil wizard and kill him. Hello, wizard, you are evil. No, says the wizard, I’m not, the Queen is the evil one, look - sunshine. Yes, the Queen is the one that is evil, I will join you.” The turnaround in motivation for him was just so sudden – like he believes whoever is talking to him. At least he and Pamina went through trials together.
Christmas tree from inside the Metropolitan Opera house
After the opera, I got some Indian food and got tea for Papa and myself. I love tea in Whole Foods. Great options. They have lots of Republic of Tea, which I love. Apricot decaf is yummy.
I was thinking of going to see the Tree at Rockefeller Center but then I thought it might be too crowded. So I went home. I’m really glad I finally got to see this opera.
I was on YouTube listening to some areas from the Magic Flute again and I found a trailer for this: Kenneth Branagh movie of it seemingly set in World War I trenches.
snow in my neighborhood
Tempest Act 5. “brave new world” – I vaguely knew it was from this play. Miranda says it. So Prospero basically scared the others in the other acts and now they are all amazed to see him and they restore his dukedom. Only then does he tell Alonso that his son is alive. Prospero is ready to be merciful even of his brother – which was a bit unexpected. I like how when people wonder what the hell is going on and how all these weird things come about, Prospero is basically “Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.” This whole play took place in three hours. Plenty of time for young people to meet and get engaged! And Ariel and other spirits are doing all the work and Prospero is claiming all the magical credit. And in the epilogue, Prospero addresses the audience and breaks the fourth wall. Now I’m ready to see the movie.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-12-30 05:54 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-12-30 02:19 pm (UTC)We had a LOT of snow. We were snowed in for two days until late Tuesday night. There was such a huge pile of snow on the road in front of us that we were effectively blocked. We could leave by foot but not by car. There is still a lot of snow and it is hard to walk anywhere. I love snow despite all its hassle. I have fond memories of winter as a child and sledding.
(no subject)
Date: 2010-12-30 12:22 pm (UTC)I love the tree
(no subject)
Date: 2010-12-30 02:21 pm (UTC)It is not as clear in the photo, but that tree is standing on the second floor balcony outside so if you look at the building from outside the tree seems to hang in the air a bit. But, of course, it did not occur to me until later that I should have taken a picture from outside too. :)