Adventure #019a- The Opera

The opera has never been high on my list of things to do in life, at least it didn't use to be. And then I received an email with people singing opera in a marketplace in Spain. They were singing La Traviata and it was so beautiful, I almost started crying, while sitting in a KFC.

If I felt that way at an impromptu viewing in KFC, how would I react to the live version? I talked to Chloe and she said she had always wanted to see Carmen, so we decided we would look into it and see if it was showing in Prague for the season. It was showing, but the tickets started at 1200kc ($80)!



We delayed because of the price, and then almost forgot about it, until Martin mentioned that his mother had gone to see it. I asked him about the prices and he sent me a link to the seats available for the show on that Friday. The seats ranged from 400kc ($20) up to 1200kc ($80). And so, thanks to Martin's spontaneity, we went to see Carmen that Friday.

The National Opera House was beautiful. The interior was all white with gold accents and the curtains were a red velvet. There was a massive chandelier and the thought of it lit with hundreds of candles before electricity was breathtaking. To add to the magic of the atmosphere, everyone was dressed up. I was wearing a nice dress with heels and as I sipped champagne during intermission, I looked around the room at all the others dressed to impress.

The first act was a little bit slow, but when the second act started, I was lost. The voices were beautiful, the music moving and the story became more complex and romantic. During the last scene, I knew that the love was fated and that it had to end tragically, but I wasn't prepared for the emotion of the final scene and almost needed the tissues I forgot to bring.

I was a bit disappointed in the seating arrangement because the chairs weren't the most comfortable. The start time of the performance made the evening difficult to manage. There aren't many restaurants that serve food after 10pm, and the opera ended at 9:30. Eating before was out of the question because it started at 7pm and we had work.

All in all though, it was a great evening that I wouldn't mind repeating.