Parlor Spider...Step In, Little Fly

Insightful thoughts and/or rants from atop the soapbox from one who wishes to share the "right" opinion with everyone.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

NetFlix Or The Opera?

I don't know Italian. Let's get that straight from the outset. I took Latin and French in high school, and I can do Sesame Street Spanish (and order beer in Mexico..oh yeah, I know the word for "ice cream" and the word for "snow" is the same in Mexico--"nieve"). But Italian, not even close. Sophia Loren is about it.
Thus, it has been a real sticking point in my cultural advancement: I mean, why go to the opera if I can't understand what the hell they're singing about? I would just sit and wait until the "fat lady sings" then get up and leave. However...
this week I was presented with the golden operatic opportunity: opera done in English! A student production of "L'Orfeo" was being performed on campus, and several of the students I tutor were going as an axtra credit assignment. I knew what the story was about since we'd read "Orpheus" in high school (as, I'm sure, you did). Thus, it seemed like an inexpensive opportunity to get a bit cultured, in spite of the fact that Ryun insisted that it was NOT opera unless it was performed in English. "Hell, Dad, you're going to a musical! Just don't tell anybody it was done in English, or you'll be laughed out of Mensa," was his take on it. I had to agree that the substitution of English for Italian WAS a sticking point, but this was Green Bay after all...sacrifices must be made.
Normally, I'm a NetFlix kind of guy, but that's not very highbrow. Having experienced Montiverde's masterpiece (thought to be among the first Italian operas EVER), I feel qualified to make the comaprison between opera and NetFlix in case you are ever faced with the dilemma of deciding between the two.

NetFlix: $10.95 a month...comes right to the house...mailperson takes it back...new movie every four days...big screen TV...really comfy snuggling couch...popcorn, juice, etc. readily available...action can be paused for bathroom break...always in English or subtitled...I can fall asleep if the movie is boring...I can watch in my jammies...

The Opera (or "musical"): $7.00 per ticket( as I said, it IS Green Bay where you can't even take a tour of Lambeau for 7 bucks)...I must drive to campus (1.5 mi.)...live performance on rare occasions...HUGE stage chock full of people, dancers, Greek chorus, etc....relatively comfy seating, especially since the crowd was small and I could get an aisle seat without elbowing somebody out of the way or whining...absolutely NO damn snacks whatsoever (if this is typical, somebody is missing out on a goldmine)...one break after the second act for bathroom services, but NO DAMN SNACKS... even in English, I had no idea what most of the singers were trying to tell me so I just watched the ballerinas flit about being trees or fluttering a sheet for the River Styx...all the clapping between acts kept me awake; though, in truth, it was actually an interesting story...I dressed up a bit for this one, meaning no athletic shoes or T-shirt.

So...all in all, I thought it was 'way better than some of the crappy movies I've been getting from NetFlix, but I think I'm going to have to pass on the Italian versions...unless there are snacks.

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