Aida and More

On Monday night I was privileged enough to see Aida at the Sydney Opera House. This is the second opera I have seen in the House. Verdict? Bravissimo!

For one, the experience was greatly improved by the fact I had THE perfect seat. No, really. I was smack-dab in the middle of the hall, first level. Best seats in the house! How did I get such a treat? Well, for one, God loves me :D For another, Barry Ryan, my teacher, got me a "VIP" ticket. He was playing Amonasro, Aida's father and king of the Ethiopians. When he came out in costume, I didn't even recognize him! It was great! I got to sit next to the publicity agent for Opera Australia, too! Kind lady.

So, not only do I get this very special treat, but I also got to go through the stage door of the theatre! The very same door all the orchestral players walk through, the very same door that so many a famous artist has walked! I got to meet Rosario, a famous tenor, who played Radames, one of the main characters. His voice is fantastic! When I spoke to him and he found out I was Barry's student, he said, "Make sure to call him so-and-so, it's our little joke here at the House". I got in on a joke at the Opera House! Ha ha!

The soprano, Claire Rutter, was fantastic. Absolutely beautiful. Stunning!

The stage was set up so wonderfully! They had this projection thing that would change with every scene, displaying trees or Egyptian hieroglyphs or what have you. And then there was this section of water in the front, about an inch on glass. It made it look like a river. It was so great.

There was, however, one down side. In the beginning of Act III, there was a dance scene which involved a female dancer "swimming" in the water on stage. It was really lovely how they did that part. Then, a male dancer comes leaping in and they do this beautiful duet. Well, it was beautiful until I realized the girl was topless. Yes, topless! Not just a top that looked like bare skin, but no top at all. On a live stage! Ack! As soon as I realized she was naked, I hid my eyes and felt my face go red.

Some may say, "it's art. Her topless body evoked a sensuality to the dance."

Well, that's someone baby girl, folks. That is someone's wife. That is someone's sister. Most importantly, that is a unique creature of God, who's body was meant to be sacred and for the pleasure of the husband alone. The dance would have been just as good, if not better, had she been fully dressed. Period! It's so sad to me that the human body has become just another instrument of expression. It is the cocoon of your soul! Treat it with some dignity, I say!

On to other things: I'm performing this Friday for my Concert Practice class. I'm a little nervous, but anxious to see how my new techniques are aiding my singing. It's funny...just the other day I was telling Brian I couldn't see myself as an opera singer, and yet, after recalling Aida, I want to try it! Thing is, I want to bring something different to the stage. I'm not quite sure what, yet. The Lord is brewing some ideas in my head.... :) I like it!

Oh, one more thing. Today, my friend Lorenzo ordered a capuccino and it was decorated like a treble clef! I took a picture of it and did some tweaking to the photo. I call it, "Musical Break".