Stunning

I'm suffering after a hard drive crash and no backup (yes, I know I should back up). Happily I don't think much was lost apart from my tax returns.

I went to see Ned Rorem's Our Town at the Juilliard School last weekend and experienced one of those things you hear about but you rarely think happen in real life. I was seated next to someone who was obviously a critic. Since I do PR for an opera company I know the signs: carrying a press kit with a pad and pen ready.

This gentleman (who I vaguely recognized but could not place), spent the first ten minutes of the performance sneezing loudly and then promptly fell fast asleep for the remainder of the first act. He woke up in time to applaud at the end of the act and after realizing that there was no intermission between Acts I and II, dozed off again. He slept through Act III and at the conclusion yelled "Bravo" and "Bravi" loudly. I looked at him in wonder. How could he know?

Amazing.