Aug 21, 2017
We went to the opera, again.
Last Saturday, Opera Kelowna had its fourth full opera performance. Opera is young here in our small city but so very well received. They now have one full performance per year. I only discovered the Kelowna Opera society last year and we attended The Magic Flute last year. This year they moved to a larger venue ( the largest that we have, 853 seats ) and were sold out both performances. The opera was La boheme by Puccini. We had excellent seats and I must say that for Kelowna theater they were well priced. I am overjoyed that we were able to get tickets.
It was a fairly large set. So difficult to take photos while trying not to disturb the other patrons. As you can see on the upper right there was a rather large screen translating the words being sung into English. There was one also to my left.
I really found the screen distracting as it was so large. At the Met in New York, they have tiny screens on the back of the seat in front of you which is easily ignored. My eye did wander from time to time to the screen which distracted me from the music. I will say that the words were not true to the original as written by Puccini.
This particular performance had been set in the 1920’s rather than the normal 1860’s. That is Musetta center stage in flapper style dress complete with headband. Mimi is the first female on the right sitting at the table. They were both exquisite vocally.
The final scene just before Mimi dies.
I have a special friend who has seen as many La bohemes as I have. She told me that if I cried at the end then it was indeed a great performance. Well my dear amiga, I teared up but did not have tears falling done my cheeks. It was very emotional and as I said I had tears. However I do believe that the opera experience we had in Venice may have spoiled me for the rest of life. I mean who has such an up close and personal experience.
We loved the performance and when I read that that next August the opera was going to be Carmen I was overwhelmed. That is my most favorite of them all. Why? Because my mother was in it and I had a small part in the children’s chorus. I know every word of that opera. Even better it is in French, my first language. Be still my beating heart. If they have 2 or 3 performances I will be at each, front and center.
Saturday knocked me back to reality. I had to pick up just a very few things at Walmart, eggs and cheese. This fellow hanging out his laundry in the parking lot soon brought me back to reality. Seriously?
What is special about the previous photo is that I did not have my camera with me but I did have my iPhone. So I was able to take the photo. However selecting the photo and emailing it to myself and then transferring it to iPhoto and touching it up a bit was a chore. Note to self, always carry your regular camera. I think that my camera would have done a better job.
Also on Saturday I had to hit our only large mall to make a return on one of our personal travel items. We are now happy with our selections. As I was walking the length of the mall I noticed a shoe store. I have had serious left heel issues the last few days and realized that I may need to change my footwear. My over 10K per day ( today is day 40 ) is taking a toll on my feet.
So I tried these on and although I do not like the look of them they are very soft, cushioned and comfortable. However the right foot is not quite right on the arch so I will wear them inside for a few weeks before I decide to keep them or return them.
Well this is a first in our lives. Side by side charging of our phones.
We have had a busy few days. Stay tuned for an early post Tuesday as we make our next move. Yes that reads m o v e .
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Sounds like you had a busy day and really enjoy the opera, you do need good shoes to do lotsa walking.
Hope they work out for you.
Oh, I cannot wait to go to the opera again. I miss it so much. My favourite is Madama Butterfly. I’m not a fan of Carmen — the book is better. 🙂 I don’t like how they added Micaëla to the opera. But I can understand how special it is to you!
Those sandals look a lot like one of my favourites of the Earth Spirit line. They’re not very pretty, but they’re so comfortable I’ve bought a half dozen pairs over the years. I brought one pair to Europe last year. I can’t count how many hundreds of KM I might have walked with them before I binned them in Spain ahead of the cold weather.
Your phone looks good! My case looks so similar, but, of course, is pink. 🙂
At my age(71) it’s comfort before fashion on my feet! Fashion earrings instead.
I was in Madame Butterfly in high school! Great opera along with The Saint of Bleaker Street. It’s good to bathe yourself in different forms of art and music. Even if you don’t care for it, it brings you an understanding of humanity. Symphony, rock concerts, country music, opera, theater, and more.
Congrats on your steps! I bought Go Walks (by Sketchers) and they are pretty good but Hubby says they look like slippers. I do want to get better walking shoes, so am on the lookout for better ones.