Why we do it

Our season ended this past weekend. It was a busy one and very successful. and I'll elaborate more as I go on, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, but I'd be lying if I didn't say that I am seriously tired. Today was my first day off since sometime in January. I had barely a second to read blogs, much less write them.

Saturday was the last of our performances of Le nozze di Figaro and I was seated next to a young man, who had obviously never seen it before. I saw him buying a ticket at the box office shortly before curtain, so I assume he is a student availing himself of our student rush policy. He was dressed nicely, although he seemed slightly uncomfortable and was alone. All I can say was that although I certainly enjoyed the performance, I think I enjoyed his reaction more. He was caught up in the comedy and responded to it with obvious joy. In the first act when Susanna was being led by the Count and Basilio to the chair where Cherubino was hiding, I heard him laughing under his breath and saying "oh no!". He was reacting, by the way, not to the surtitles, but to the action on stage and to the music. I missed the last act (business called), but I really wished I'd seen his reaction to "Deh vieni non tardar", which almost always makes me cry.

It's moments like that that validate what we are doing onstage for me. It also makes me think that there is future for opera, no matter what the naysayers say.