January 28, 2015

Tosca

Ravishing Russky soprano Tatiana Serjan as Tosca

Due to the good graces of the USO, I received 2 free tickets to last night's superb performance of our Lyric Opera's production of Tosca which introduced me to Russian soprano Tatiana Sarjen but more on her later. My original intention was for the Den to be a Man About Town feature only a little vexing issue with our IRS intervened just as I started the blog and now I almost have that painful matter behind me so the high steppin' will soon begin. I only consider last night a school night tune-up for what is to follow.


The Civic Opera House is an Art Noveau-Art Deco masterpiece.
Here is a wall inside the theatre that shows some of the detail.


Mr. DG, aka Our Man in Edgewater, is a fine fellow I formally met only 3 or 4 days ago. Much to our amusement we were on the same schedule and crossed paths several times each day with McDonald's at 7ish, for coffee and wifi, library when it opens at 10 and next to the library our little lunch spot Patio Beef.. I had only pleasantry variety interaction previously but noticed he was quite friendly, articulate, and all these bookish older ladies were always having a word with him over Dickens, Austen, and the like.  My friend Terry who I normally go to the Opera with was a late scratch and I do hate seeing a good seat going to waste so just asked DG if he was interested as it was a free ticket. His eyes lit up just as I suspected and he has long been a devotee of Opera and Theatre and has far more technical knowledge than I do so he was more than up for it.
I love the people watching during intermission.



I have another little money matter to clear up after I square up with my buddy JC on Friday. I'm also on the boot bounty...you know those gorgeous hunks of cold steel that put your car out of business.
I'm into the city for a pretty penny over some past due parking tickets. I always urge any robbery victim not to bother calling 911; that's too slow. Just park your car a foot past that sign with the arrow pointing the other way and watch how fast they appear. It's like they fall from the sky. Then they go get a hot dog, come back, and write another ticket. They drive around the block. BAM! Another.
Then they have these burly bastards that flunked out of Seal Team 6 school that drive around looking for cars with TWO tickets past due. That's right TWO! They should be wearing black hoods when they affix those clunky hangman's nooses. GSL's tickets number well past two btw...but his car remains unshod of said boot. For the last few months, I've been in a little cat and mouse game with the boot crews and this is where being clever is helpful. The trick is you must stay a moving target. Never park near where you live and I've got 3 or 4 cubby holes where they'll never find me. I've got guys posted on street corners letting me know when they're on the move. Smoke signals, carrier pigeons, tweets, and texts. Low Tech and High Tech. They can't find me. They won't find me. But I do need to settle up so I called the ticket lady to cut a deal. She said they don't cut deals. I tried low-balling her....she wasn't amused. I'll call her back in a couple of weeks after she's had time to think about it.

The Denver Boot: These boots make for walking

Mr. DG and I shared a giggle over my boot crew troubles and then enjoyed a splendid night of great music and drama with wonderful sets and great actors in addition to beautiful voices and music. Mr DG is a great companion to attend these cultural excursions with. We were in almost complete agreement on how good the sets were, the superb acting by everyone, how well staged it was overall, and the exquisite aria that Tatiana Serjan (Tosca) delivered to close Act I and marveled at how the night flew by. It was a marvelous night in good company and look forward to getting out more now that the dust is starting to clear.

There is of course that famous scene and aria that hit close to home where Tosca proclaims:
                                       
                                                         I live for Art.
                                                        I live for Love.

I'll endure money troubles, a boot crew posse, and a higher cost of living if I can live in a city that supports great cultural institutions like Lyric Opera of Chicago. Thank you USO!
While I know our dear Cynthia does far better, this is GSL's idea of a well laid table
Post performance cocktail at The Red Lion Pub. That's a Famous Grouse on the rocks at 11 o'clock.
At 1 o'clock is an empty mini bottle of  Baily's Irish Cream aka 'Irish Maalox'
I took 3 of those into the Opera as $14 is a little steep for this pauper's purse

33 comments:

  1. God love the USO. Actually it makes me laugh thinking of them because when I was a (ahem) very young woman living in the Philippines, my friends and I thought of ourselves as the USO entertaining the troops on the Navy base we all lived on. No it's not what you think, we were Good Girls. Disco dancing is vital for morale, no matter if you are a D/D or a very foxy marine!

    Glad you got to go to the opera. Hope you had some champagne during intermission. Re the comment you left re Kate Hudson, my dear GSL you are HARSH! Ouchy ouch ouch! But you make me laugh, always. XO, Jill

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    1. My dear Jill,
      You would make a most charming and attractive USO hostess but you do know foxy marine is an oxymoron. Honestly, that Kate Hudson dress is just silly nonsense and one day soon you'll make up and realize GSL was right all along just as he always is.
      Darling Jill, you girls need a little break from all this patty-cake volleying from time to time but upper case HARSH and a 3zy ouch?...oh please!...you big baby!

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  2. How nice that you've found a new like-minded friend to accompany you to the opera. The venue looks right up my alley, and I too would have loved to have seen this production. You are lucky indeed to have received your tickets through the USO, bless them!

    "Irish Maalox" - love it! Actually ,have you tried 1921 Crema de Tequila, Mexico's equivalent (sort of)? It is delish!

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    1. Having someone there to share fresh observations with does enhance the experience so I'll make a point of attending henceforth with a carefully vetted companion such as DG or Terry et al . Tuesday nights often lack the electricity along with the more formal attire but the relaxed weeknight atmosphere made my perspective a bit less on performance and more experience focused as I found myself looking more closely at the design elements which were superb.and the choreography and silent acting of the large cast.

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  3. Tosca is wonderful! Your boot story kills me - seen it tons here!

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    1. Tosca was wonderful and Wendy I don't mind life on the lam.

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  4. We saw a rather bland Tosca here in Seattle this month--glad you enjoyed the show with your new friend! Next month the Lyric Opera is putting on the first North American Tannhauser in what seems like decades. I was trying to finagle a Valentine's Day weekend trip to Chicago to see it, but unfortunately work demands prohibit travel.

    P.S. Thanks for sharing the stories about Haiti. I didn't have time to comment.

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    1. Hex,
      They have a performance Valentine's Night and I'm listening to Sir Andrew Davis's (Music Director and Principal Conductor) fine commentary on Tannhauser. He has one of the best speaking voices I've ever heard.
      https://www.lyricopera.org/education/commentaries.aspx

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  5. Hunter has a quicke saw...we can send it if still needed. Still on my list to see an opera. Have never been.

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    1. I once saw a Mexican in a beater of a pick-up that drove off with that boot still only with a shorter arm than the one pictured above with it slapping the ground and popping the truck up on every revolution. After about a block the boot popped off, the Mexican threw it in the back of his truck with all this other scrap metal he collects in alleys he patrols and sold it for scrap turning a tidy profit.
      With that longer armed boot, I'll need Hunter's quick saw.

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  6. An evening at Tosca after a mere three days acquaintance? Can we expect a happy announcement this Spring?
    It does sound lovely, though I prefer my opera German and at home. I like to be comfortable, and close my eyes. If I did that at a live performance people might think I had a few too many cocktails.
    I haven't seen one of those boots in a while. Here they just tow your car. Shady tow truck patrol the streets like sharks, waiting to pounce. Your system sounds good though, it must keep you on your toes.

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    1. Mr DG and I had a chuckle about that as for girls who've grown up in the Midwest and move to Chicago, going to the opera is like a prom for grown-ups and is fraught with relationship expectations so I prefer to keep the drama onstage.
      Those crews go out in a van and boot about 50 cars in an afternoon and the following day the tow trucks go get the booted cars. Towing costs at least $150, storage costs about $50/day, and you have to pay all your tickets off in full before you can get your car back.

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  7. My friend had so many tickets unpaid that the bailiffs came to her house and she actually did make sn offer. The official stance is no but they might.

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    1. Naomi,
      I'll hope to work something out soon and answering the door in my jammies to a crowd of bailiffs isn't my idea of negotiating leverage.

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  8. Darling G,
    These posts become more and more revealing about you!

    First, what a perfect evening at the Opera. We love Tosca, so full of drama and bravura, and how positively thrilling that the diva beyond divas was played by Tatiana Serjan. She is definitely a star of the moment. Such a powerful voice but also great control. That really must have been a night to remember. Rather, we suspect, like the apocryphal performance by Callas of Tosca when, upon throwing herself off the parapet at the end, bounced back up again much to the amusement of everyone! but, we are intrigued to read that your Tosca night was all enjoyed in the company of, what we imagine to be, the entirely charming and stylish Mr DG. Now, he does sound like someone we should happily chat away the night with. Are we to hear more of him?

    However, darling G, we are most concerned about the parking fines and the dodging around town avoiding the 'clampers'. This could all end in tears.......and they may be yours. It is all very well sneaking in small spirit bottles to consume in the intermission....indeed, we do the same with small bottles of 'shampoo'...but the hunky types who clamp cars are not to be fooled around with. No, our advice is to pay up immediately and then you and Mr DG can ride around town, roof down......so much more stylish in the winter.......with the wind in your hair. Men about town indeed!

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    1. ...Darlings J & L, I should also add that Tatiana Serjan was a major triumph as Lady MacBeth last season here which I missed. She certainly has the control down and was wonderful overall especially in those arias you'd want her to be but thought there was a time or 2 when the orchestra overwhelmed her but that is likely a matter of the conductor and director's influence...again only very minor quibbles as she is a treasure!

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  9. Mr DG, aka 'Our Man in Edgewater' is excellent company and apparently quite well connected in the theatre community so I'm thinking of naming him our Charge d' Affaires on all matters theatrical and directing us to those little deserving productions that could benefit from a 'Den' roar...personally I'd hope our Mr DG might help facilitate a 'Stage Door Johnny' opportunity for GSL regarding this ravishing Russky Tatiana Serjan...

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  10. I'm with you on supporting The Arts, GSL. I'm a long time supporter of our Canadian Opera Company.
    I named the first Canadian Sport Horse I bred, Tosca, so your post brings a happy memory to me today.

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    1. Hi Donna,
      Tosca is fabulous name for a horse and love everything about the opera and was only a llittle disappointed i came rather shabbily dressed as I let the day get away from me and didn't have time to go home,change, and at least do tweed jacket sweater and tie as the opera should be dressed for and often is especially on the weekends. As I'm sure you can well imagine, I love a scene of well dressed women entering a gorgeous building in anticipation of an evening of transcendent artistic performance. I'll best you make one fine entrance that catches everyone's attention!!!

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  11. Love it...Tosca and Das Boot in one episode! What a lovely evening you describe, G! Isn't it fun to have a new friend with like interests? Tatiana is indeed a beauty and I look forward to hearing more about here...stunning!
    Now pay those tickets before we have to start a collection to bail you out,dear G!

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    1. Das Boot!!! Well done Darling T! I will eventually be in the clear on those tickets...and as T.S. Eliot says: "Anxiety is the handmaiden of creativity".

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  12. Dear GSL, I know you describe yourself as a 'man of action' but playing hide and seek across Chicago with these 'burly bastards' isn't quite the daring escapades I was imagining! Do I need to break open my piggy bank or pawn some diamonds to get you out of their evil clutches? From McDonalds to TRLP via the Opera...quite a full day...lucky you, sounds as if you're unencumbered by that thing called...a job! Claire

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    1. Beguiling Claire,
      These little hide and seek exercises (and they will come to an end soon) may be somewhat disillusioning of your sugar plum vision's protagonist which is all the better as in true Clark Kent at phone booth fashion, your Man of Action will soon have you in full swoon as dragons lay slain on the on the field of battle and that wildflower plucked from next to the vanquished and placed in the lapel of your well tailored suit will be prized far beyond any bauble you, or the Queen of Sheba, own.

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    2. I only wish the delightful Hattatts had purchased a home in Chicago - because if they're looking for another Mad Boy, you could be it!! But don't get your hopes up, they're pretty choosy. I must say it's been a while since I enjoyed a good swoon, now you're getting my hopes up! Claire

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  13. Hilarious! Love this account of opera intervened with parking fines and Mickey Dees and cafes and other bloggy meet-ups and more parking fines plus whisky bottles in pocket (was that a dinner jacket pocket?) Really that's what opera is about -besides love and art of course. Some of the lines translated are L "get the door" "Okay I'll get the door" "I've got the door" and so on....(Just read Claire's comment...LOLOL I needed for the day)
    That opera singer reminds me of someone...is it BandP?

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    1. Jody, I only brought that Irish Maalox because it was only thing I could think of to splash in coffee with self service refills. I'll do a little experimenting to see if there is a stronger suitable alternative. Please suggest based on what I suspect is rather extensive research.
      Claire has quickly become a Den fav and we hope to see her often.
      I do see a bit of BandP resemblance but she'd quickly kabosh anything even vaguely flattering in an operatic hissy fit.

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    2. I am sure someone has been clever enough to design a flask in the guise of opera glasses...win,win in my opinion!
      Yesterday you were into blue-eyed blondes, today back to your dark haired beauties! Yes, darling G, you do get around! LOL!

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    3. Darling Trudye,
      The Den is currently in negotiations to add 'Q' to our roster in a consulting capacity pending MI6 approval. Per your excellent suggestion, I'll have Q get straight to work on that Opera Glass Flask to also include motion sensor when a pencil skirt is nearing point blank range.

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    1. Now listen my good man, I'm not sure how you slipped past security but we don't allow hucksters in the Den and you're even under dressed!!! but next time GSL finds himself on the Indian Subcontinent in need of Pool Parties, Paper Plate Picnics, Peanuckle, or pocket pool in Pango Pango we'll look you up you Palliated, Pock-Pitted, Pagan Plow-boy....

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