Had a great time at the opera, this weekend. Saw "Manon" at the Chicago Lyric opera and I can honestly say it was the best evening I've hade since moving to Chicago. Natalie Dessay as Monon and Jonas Kaufmann as her lover, Chevalier des Grieux were incredible. Anyone still laboring under the stereotype of the 300 pound opera star, standing around and bellowing an aria should see these two. Both athletic opera stars not only sang to perfection, they moved with grace and beauty.
My friend and I watched it all with optics that were far superior to anything else I saw, even around the necks of celebrities unloading from their limos. I used my elegant
Swarovski Crystal Pocket and Pete used a
Zeiss Victory Compact binocular. Why anyone would use a cheap binocular or
opera glass is beyond me, given the price of admission to such an event.
For us, though, the highlight of the evening was actually meeting these two stars at the stage door. Both were wonderfully gracious and open and happy to give us autographs.