Pagliacci

When I bought season tickets for the Opera Colorado season, I wasn’t sure if Marina would want to see Pagliacci. But when I explained the story to her she was excited to see it. The opening night was tonight and we had tickets to see it.

Initially, Marina didn’t want to dress up for the show. But when I suggested a black dress and a goth look, she liked that idea. Once she finished her hair and makeup, she was very pleased with how she looked.

We arrived with plenty of time for the show. As we walked through the lobby, we saw a photo booth. Marina put on a black fascinator and picked up a peacock fan to pose for photos. The woman taking the pictures loved how she looked.

We brought drinks and went to our seats for the show. When it finally started it was obvious early that the subtitles were not working. While we both watched carefully, it was hard to understand what was going on. At intermission, an older man asked us about the subtitles. Marina ended up talking with him and his wife through the entire intermission.

Fortunately the subtitles were working for the second act, so we were able to follow the story. After it was over, Marina said she liked it. We were able to get home fairly quickly after the show although Marina had a hard time settling down for bed.

Hansel and Gretel

Marina and I had tickets to the opera Hansel and Gretel this afternoon. We invited Ainsley to join us. It had been my plan to go to lunch first, but both girls had eaten late breakfasts and were not hungry. So we hang around the house for a while before we went to the arts center.

We arrived early for the show. There were no concession available, so there wasn’t much to do but wait. The girls talked and showed each other photos on their phones until the show started.

The opera was funny and easy to follow. Marina and Ainsley both enjoyed the performance, especially the tenor who played the witch. After the performance, we listened to the question and answer session where little kids asked questions.

After the show, both girls were hungry. So we stopped for a late lunch.

The Barber of Seville

We invited Ainsley to join us this evening at the opera The Barber of Seville. Ainsley was excited and she even had a new dress for the occasion. She helped Marina to get ready as well.

We ate dinner downtown, then we walked over to the opera house. It was opening night and they had rolled out the red carpet. We had time to pick up drinks before heading to our seats.

The Barber of Seville is a romantic comedy and it was very funny. Both girls enjoyed the silly shenanigans of the characters. They said they had a good time watching it. It was late when the show ended and the girls fell asleep in the car on the way home. Fortunately, the clocks went back an hour, so we were able to get more sleep.

Butterfly Opera

Part of our annual summer traditions is a trip to Central City to see the Family matinee of one of their shows. This year’s opera was Madame Butterfly. Since we recently introduced one of Marina's friends to opera, we invited her join us.

We got an early start for the drive into the mountains. We arrived a bit early for the Opera Adventures part of the day. The Associate Director of Education, recognized us when we checked in. After a brief meeting in the stables, the group split in two. Our group went to the Teller House for an origami activity. Emily lead the class in making a butterfly. The girls each made two. Since origami is something Marina does all the time at home, she loved this part.

 After the origami activity, we went to the garden for the next activity. The leader talked about Painted Lady butterflies. After her introduction, she handed everyone a folded paper that contained a butterfly. The group counted down and then released their butterflies. They didn’t fly away right away, so both girls enjoyed watching the butterflies. Marina’s stayed on the paper for quite a while before it flew away.

While I went to get lunch, both girls found butterflies in garden, some on the ground, and even had some land on them. We ate lunch on the opera house patio and then gathered for the next activity. Inside the Williams Stables, we met the cultural director of Madame Butterfly. She taught everyone about Japanese culture. They learned about proper greetings and sang a folk song. We saw a demonstration on how to properly wear a kimono. Marina was thrilled to get to try one on. Last, the group learned several fan dance moves.

After the cultural lessons. We lined the street to watch the famous Usher Song. Then we went into the opera house to find our seats. Madame Butterfly is a long opera but we all enjoyed it. The girls particularly liked the little girl in the cast. The ending was tragic and we discussed the importance of honor in Japanese culture in relation to the ending.

The weather had become rainy so the meet and greet session was held inside. We spoke with several of the performers and took photos with them before heading back to the car.

The Marriage of Figaro

We had tickets to see The Marriage of Figaro tonight. Marina wore her floor length purple and black dress. I added a necklace and black gloves. She looked so glamorous!

One of our friends was joining us for the opera. She met us at our house and we all drove downtown together. We decided to have dinner before the show. The food came out quickly and it was all really good. After we ate, we went to the opera house for the show. They had the red carpet out since it was opening night. That made it a bit more exciting.

We sat down with a bit of time before the opera began. Marina was excited to see it. The Marriage of Figaro is a comic opera and Marina enjoyed the silly situations throughout. After the show, she said she really liked it. We were able to get to our car quickly after the show. We’d had a full day!

Cosi For Kids

We had tickets to see Cosi Fan Tutti. The performance we were seeing was specially created for families.

The theater is about an hour drive from our house. None of us were hungry when it was time to leave, so we bought sandwiches to eat along the way. Fortunately the snow that fell last night was plowed this morning and the streets were clear.

We arrived a bit early for the show so we relaxed in our seats for a while. The performance featured scenes of the opera with narration in between. It was colorful and fun to watch. The third scene was particularly funny.

After the performance was over, we got to meet the performer playing Despina, whose boyfriend we were sitting by. After talking with her, we were ready for the long drive home.

Red Riding Hood at the Opera

Last year we went with friends to see a production of Cinderella. This year, they were presenting Little Red Riding Hood and we all decided to go together again. Marina chose to wear a simple black dress – then she added a red cape from one of her Red Riding Hood costumes.

We met our friends at their house and we all drove together. We arrived at the theater early. When we walked in we found Santa sitting inside with no line. .

We had a bit of a wait until we could sit, so Marina and I browsed a table with souvenirs. Marina fell in love with a wolf hat that had long paw gloves attached. I knew she’d probably wear it all the time, so I got one for her. She wore it all day.

Our seats were right up front so we got a good look at the stage. It had flowers and artificial grass where we could see. It was fun to look at. The opera started a bit late, but it was a really fun one. It was an abridged version, so it was only about 45 minutes long and we all enjoyed it.

After the opera was a question and answer period. Marina answered a question correctly and won a t-shirt. The cast were in the lobby for photo so we took some. But we didn’t see the actor playing the wolf. We found him inside the theater and talked with him for a few minutes. He was very nice. We stopped for ice cream after the show before driving home.

La Traviata

Three years ago, Marina and I saw the opera La Traviata four years ago. Tonight was opening night of another production. I got tickets for us to go with Angie. Marina got all dressed up in a hot pink floor length dress. I added a pink beaded necklace. She looked so grown up!

Traffic was crazy on the way to the theatre and when we arrived at the performing arts complex it was packed. We just managed to park, get through security and buy drinks before the opera started. Angie met us at the seats.

The first time we saw La Traviata, Marina enjoyed it. This time she seemed bored. When the opera ended, she was anxious to go home. She didn’t even want to wait for the elevator at the parking garage. Instead she hurried up five flights of stair! On the way home she fell asleep. It had been a full day!

Opera Adventures

The summer is winding down and another of our traditions is to attend the family matinee performance at the opera. Marina and I were especially excited this year because the opera being performed was The Magic Flute, one we both love. I signed us up for the Opera Adventures before the opera. So we left this morning for the drive to the mountains. It was a beautiful day and the drive through the mountains was gorgeous.

When we arrived, we were greeted by the staff, who recognized us from the previous three years. The first part of the day was a trip to a history museum. We had gone there three years ago for our first time in Central City and it was interesting to go again. We looked over the displays of life in Central City in the 1800’s. After we went through the museum, Marina tried panning for gold outside. She even helped some younger kids find gold as well,

We went to the opera patio for lunch as we always do. Marina ate a bit of everything. At the end of our lunch, another family joined us and we talked with them for a while until it was time to rejoin the group for afternoon activities.

We met everyone in the stables where there were some activities for kids. When they handed out plastic flutes, Marina didn’t get one. Apparently, she’s no longer a kid! She didn’t seem to mind. Then we heard from an actor who plays Sorastro in the regular production of the opera. He sang for us as well.

We all went outside in time to hear the Usher Song. This year we were even supplied with the sheet music! Then we went inside to watch the show. This performance had a bit of a 1920’s circus theme and three boys in a bit of a narrator role. As always, our favorite parts were the arias by The Queen of the Night.

After the performance, the performers playing Tamino, Pamina, the Queen of the Night, Papageno and Sarastro came out in their costumes. Marina happily had her picture taken with each one before we headed home.

Aida

Over the years, Marina and I have seen quits a few operas and she appeared to like them all. Angie is also interested in opera. So we all decided to see Aida.

The show was not close to home. So we met up with Angie and we all made the drive there. We ran into some traffic issues, but we still arrived with plenty of time to find our seats and settle in for the show.

Aida was presented in concert format, so while the performers appeared in costume there were no sets and the staging was simple. The performers were very talented and they were accompanied by a full chorale. Despite that, Marina seemed to have a hard time getting into the show. I think she would have preferred to see a fully staged production.

After one of the intermissions, Angie brought water for us and she handed Marina a candy bar. That perked her up a bit. Once the show was over, we went back to Angie’s car for the long drive home.

Cendrillon

This afternoon, Marina and I had plans to see Cendrillon with Angie and Adam. After church we got ready to go. Marina wore her Cinderella inspired dress with a tiara and sparkly jewelry. We arrived at Angie’s house while they were getting ready so Marina was happy to play with their three kittens. I could hear her giggling the whole time.

The show was a long drive for us. We were running a bit late, but we fortunately arrived at the venue right in time. The show even started a bit late, so we had time to catch our breath.

Cendrillon is an opera based on the story of Cinderella. It was a different version from the one we saw last month. I think Marina liked this one better, it included a fairy godmother and two sprites. The opera was in French and subtitles weren’t working very well, so we couldn’t read along. However, it is a story we all know, so we could figure out what was going on.

After the show, the performers came out for meet and greets. We got pictures with many of them. After we met everyone, we left the theater.

Before heading home, we stopped for dinner. We were all feeling happy when we made the long drive home.

Cinderella Opera

The first opera I took Marina to see was Cinderella when she was seven. That was a long time ago and since then she has developed a love for opera. Today we had tickets to see a local touring production of Cinderella. I thought it would be fun to see it again. Marina chose to wear her Cinderella inspired dress with sparkly jewelry.

We wanted to arrive at the theater early since it was a general admission event and we hoped to have good seats. Marina wanted to sit as close to the front as possible but I convinced her to go back a few rows.

The show was a one hour abridged version, which was fine with us. The performance was in English, which made following it much easier than traditional opera. We all enjoyed watching it.

After the show was over, there was a short question and answer period. We had hoped to get a picture with the performer playing Cinderella, but she didn’t stick around for very long. So we headed out.

La Boheme

This evening we had tickets for opening night of La Boheme. We got all dressed up. Marina wore a floor length pink dress. She looked so grown up!

The performing arts complex had four events all starting at the same time, so we decided to take the train. It was a bit windy at the station and we had to wait about 15 minutes for the train to come.

Once we arrived downtown, we had a short walk to the opera house. Marina loved seeing downtown at night. We picked up drinks and a snack for during the show and went to our seats.

As usual, Marina was excited when the show began. I heard her laughing at the funny situations and clapping after songs. At the first intermission, I asked her if she was following the story. She said, “Most of it.”

The second act was sadder than the first. I had warned Marina that it had a sad ending and she was able to figure out that it was Mimi who died at the end.

When the show was over, Marina said she enjoyed it. We walked over to the train station and only had to wait a few minutes before our train came. By the time we arrived at home we were both very tired.

Carmen

One of our summer traditions is participating in the Take A Child to the Opera event. Last year when Marina learned that Carmen was the featured opera this year she immediately wanted to go. She decided she wanted to wear a sparkly red dress, after all, red is the color most commonly associated with the main character.

We didn’t get as early a start as I had hoped. It was a long drive to the mountain town, but Marina passed much of the trip by admiring the scenery. She even took pictures with her phone.

We were a bit late, but fortunately they hadn’t started yet. Each child was given a list of clues for a scavenger hunt and a bag of supplies. With these they went from place to place and had their gold ore weighed and got candy in payment for it, created a souvenir coin and wrote down important dates from plaques. When they completed the scavenger hunt, they were given a pair of sunglasses as a prize.

We took a break for lunch. Marina and I had a picnic in our usual spot, the garden on the west side of the opera house. After lunch we went back to the stables where we had a special speaker, the actress who plays Carmen in the regular production of the opera. She sang a bit and demonstrated how she uses the castanets in a dance. Each child got a set of plastic castanets to practice with.

Before the opera we lined the streets to watch the usher march. As usual, it was fun to see. Then we lined up at the opera house to take our seats. We had a good view of the stage and Marina was anxious for the show to begin. When the lights went down she was audibly excited.

The opera is a long one, but it was very well done. The young artists in the lead roles were very talented and fun to watch. Marina particularly enjoyed the “Toreador” song. At intermission we went out to the patio to stretch our legs. While we were outside we saw many of the musicians enjoying their break.

 When the show was over, we went to the patio for the meet and greet. Of course, Marina wanted to meet them all. It was quite a lot of people, so we waited for the crowd to die down before we got in for pictures. That gave Marina a bit of time to talk to them as well.

After the meet and greet we went back to the car for the long trip back home. Marina still enjoyed looking at the mountains. She had a snack while we drove home after a fun but tiring day.

Happy Birthday, Molly Brown!

We’ve been to the Molly Brown House Museum for tea in the past. Today we decided to try something else. For Margaret Brown’s 150th birthday, the museum held a block party. True to the name, the entire block the house stands on was closed off of the event. Marina decided to wear an outfit inspired by the era – a lace summer dress and a fancy straw hat with flowers. All day she received many compliments on her outfit.

We had a short wait to check in and then we started to check out the vendor booths. We found many places we go to had booths. Marina learned about military supplies at one booth and painted a firefighter’s badge at another.

We listened to two opera singers perform songs from Carmen and then Marina insisted we check out the animal shelter area where they had dogs and kittens up for adoption. She fell in love with them all – especially a black kitten that she held for a while.

Once she was willing to leave the pets behind, we went through the house and even found a new room that was recently opened to the public. As we left the house, we met the actress who plays Margaret Brown. She remembered us from the tea party in March and talked with us for a little while.

We each had a piece of birthday cake while we watched Mexican Fiesta Dancers. Marina said goodbye to the pets before we left the party. It was a really fun event!