Today was a Doosey

My First Opera

Shannon says it was a good intro. It was a solid 3.5 hours.

Well I cannot actually say it was my first opera, I worked on an opera for Lite Opera Works of Evanston. But they were miked and it was not even close to the scale of this.

This was amazing. I think I like it more the more I think about it.

The only thing that was keeping me from being truly moved during the performance was that I didn't understand what they were singing.

There were sub-titles, so I got the whole story, no confusion there. But the subtitles were at the top of the procenium, and I was close enough that I couldn't read them and see waht was happening on the stage.

But I wouldn't have changed my seats, about half-way back the main floor. Far enough back to get good sound developement, but close enough to get the power of the ensemble. Also far enough back to get most of the big picture. So I think my seat was perfect, but I REALLY look forward to seeing Porgy and Bess (PPPPLLLLEEEAAASE Shannon!!!) and understanding without the subtitles and therefore really turning myself over to the story and the music.

Now that I think about it, although it was VERY entertaining and VERY beautiful, the story didn't really have a lot at stake. Well these two people happiness and lives, but there just wasn't that tension. That heart tug. That something that makes you really root for the character and feel what they feel. That may change with a different opera.

I look forward to seeing more operas and having a real knowledgable (although probably always an amatuers) opionion about them. Hear that Shannon? You converted me!

Truly the scale and power of the production is what I had hoped to get from broadway tours and missed. Ahh the power of the human voice in full (virtually) unadulterated glory.

So I went from there to letterpress printing training afterhours at the Chicago Ave Paper Source. It was two hours of talking about all the myriad of invitation and stationary possibiblities.

It was wonderful. It was overwhelming. It makes me what to make something.

I felt like I will never know it all and want to know it all RIGHT NOW. Like everything in my life I need to learn patience. I am not good at waiting, even for my brain. Especially for my brain.

And everything at Paper Source is wonderful. And their letterpress is no exception. The designs, colors and the ways to realize the customers dreams. The possibilities make you excited to work with someone on creating something.

I always leave work with this urge to make something and the frustration of neither having a project or an idea.

So now I am home, it is late and my brain is spinning with the sensory overload of my wonderful day. I hope I can recover enought to appreciate Picnic tomarrow at Writers Theatre. I've got all day.