ByGD
A couple years back, Seattle Opera put on a production of The Wicked Adventures of Count Ory. It was a wickedly funny production with elements of Monty Python and Alice in Wonderland. And the humor spilled out into the lobby with a performance in drag by The Bad Habits. They seem to be a jazz band that formed and dissolved around the opera.
ByGD
Since people follow social media accounts that post about topics they are interested in, it stands to reason that themes would emerge in anyone’s feed. But I’m always tickled when posts on a random keyword or topic show up sequentially in my feeds. Yes, I follow lots of musicians and music-related accounts. But I have no particular interest in organs. And the two accounts above deal with very different musical genres. I just love that.
ByGD
I often set myself up behind the sound guy at concerts, since where he’s standing is usually where the sound is best. I have so much respect for the job they do, especially because so much of the music I listen to is really hard to mix. But I am still angry about this show from years ago when one of my favorite bands at the festival was on stage and the sound guy spent the whole set on Facebook.
ByGD
I grew up in a family that was quite fond of archaic and colloquial proverbs like
If you’re not the lead dog, the scenery never changes.
I try to avoid such phrases now, but sometimes they still hold value. Like the much-adapted opening lines of Pride and Prejudice, I’d like to riff on this particular cliche to make it a little more relevant to my situation.
If you’re not in the front row, the stage is a black hoody.
This photo is nice, because I took it at a Meshuggah show. So at least I can tell where I was at the time. Because at this show, like every other show in which I didn’t fight my way to the front of the pit, a black hoody was all I saw of the show.
ByGD
Seattle Opera’s The Elixir of Love is quite possibly the first fully staged, filmed opera produced under social distancing protocols. With this production, Seattle Opera proves that it’s possible to keep enjoying opera – even full operas and not just recitals – while live performances are unavailable. The filmed format presents interesting opportunities for reinterpretation. And although it’s coincidental (The Elixir of Love was already planned for this season before the pandemic hit) there are ways in which The Elixir of Love is particularly well suited for this type of adaptation. So even though it’s not the same as being there, and not quite as good as being there, The Elixir of Love on film stands on its own as a fun opera experience.
