Vishnu has been keen on watching an opera for a while now. We didn't get a chance to see one in Prague or Budapest. So when I saw a Facebook ad for La Traviata playing in San Francisco, we decided to go see it before we head back to India.
We booked an airbnb in SF for the night as we also planned to go on a Hitchcock walking tour the next day. We took the Caltrain to the city, checked in to the hotel and then headed to the nearest wine bar. Sipping wine and munching on some yummy empanadas, we read up on the story of La Traviata. It was pretty straightforward.
This was Vishnu's chance of wearing a suit and he made the most of it. All dressed up, we went to the SF Opera house. It was buzzing with people, most of who were dressed very fancy in their ball gowns and tux. I think this may be one of the fanciest events I have been to in the five years I have lived in the US.
We had the cheapest tickets in the balcony so we had to go all the way up. There were a lot of people waiting for the elevator so we decided to walk it. Big mistake! The stairs were steep and I think we had to walk at least 5 floors. Not a good idea when you're in heels. Huffing and puffing, I reached my seat.
The hall was packed. When the curtain was lifted, I was taken aback by the grandeur of the set, costume and lighting. It was so perfect and well done. There were super titles without which there was no way of understanding the Italian songs. There were 3 acts in the show with 2 intervals of 20-25 minutes each. We managed to grab something to eat during the first break.
I loved the music by the live orchestra and the entire presentation. I had prepared myself to get bored and I was proven wrong. I definitely plan to listen to more opera music but without the lyrics and the singing.
After the show we went to an Irish bar and chilled out. The walking tour next day didn't happen due to the fact that we woke up late and also the poor air quality because of the recent forest fires. We returned home the next afternoon.
We booked an airbnb in SF for the night as we also planned to go on a Hitchcock walking tour the next day. We took the Caltrain to the city, checked in to the hotel and then headed to the nearest wine bar. Sipping wine and munching on some yummy empanadas, we read up on the story of La Traviata. It was pretty straightforward.
This was Vishnu's chance of wearing a suit and he made the most of it. All dressed up, we went to the SF Opera house. It was buzzing with people, most of who were dressed very fancy in their ball gowns and tux. I think this may be one of the fanciest events I have been to in the five years I have lived in the US.
We had the cheapest tickets in the balcony so we had to go all the way up. There were a lot of people waiting for the elevator so we decided to walk it. Big mistake! The stairs were steep and I think we had to walk at least 5 floors. Not a good idea when you're in heels. Huffing and puffing, I reached my seat.
The hall was packed. When the curtain was lifted, I was taken aback by the grandeur of the set, costume and lighting. It was so perfect and well done. There were super titles without which there was no way of understanding the Italian songs. There were 3 acts in the show with 2 intervals of 20-25 minutes each. We managed to grab something to eat during the first break.
I loved the music by the live orchestra and the entire presentation. I had prepared myself to get bored and I was proven wrong. I definitely plan to listen to more opera music but without the lyrics and the singing.
