Opera has held a particular appeal to me ever since I saw my first opera, Carmen, standing room only as a college student at Toronto's Roy Thomson Hall. Understandably, I was delighted when I saw an ad for the Metropolitan Opera's "A Tribute to Beverly Sills" on September 16.
At 11:45 on a crisp Sunday morning, I arrived at the plaza on Lincoln Center where I joined a group of fellow opera enthusiasts in a queue that snaked around metal barricades -- at least ten lines deep. The box office was set to open at 12noon for ticket distribution. As fellow patrons and I shuffled our way to the head of the line, we exchanged pleasantries. The opera fan in front of me had caught the 8:45am train from Port Jefferson, Long Island into the city. The opera fan behind me came in from Poughkeepsie.
By 12:45pm, I was at the halfway point in the queue, when the security guard announced that "standing room only" tickets were left. By 1:15pm and three laps away from the box office window, the security guard made yet another announcement. This time around, there were no tickets left. According to the security guard, some patrons had arrived as early as 6:00am. Word around the box office was that some patrons had camped out overnight.
I heeded the advice of the security guard and returned around 3:30pm. The doors opened at 4:15pm for a performance set to begin at 5:00pm. By 4:15pm, after pacing the length of the line to the box office and lingering at the exit, I was able to land two tickets for admission through the generosity of a patron. My efforts were abundantly rewarded.
The stellar line-up of performers included Placido Domingo ("Ombra mai fu" from Serse); Anna Netrebko ("Nightingale and the Rose -- Oriental Romance"); Nathan Gunn (Romanze from Rosamunde); and Natalie Dessay ("Ich wollt ein Strausslein binden").
Mayor Bloomberg, in a humor-laced tribute to Ms. Sills, admitted he was no longer in his vocal prime and, since Placido Domingo stole the spotlight he [Bloomberg] could not sing the same aria. Barbara Walters, Ms. Sills's best friend, was wearing a ring Ms. Sills received as a gift on her second retirement. The inscription on the ring read "I did that already". Carol Burnet, who spoke after the screening of "Bubbles & Burnett", recounted her introduction to Ms. Sills and their adventures playing in the sandbox. Henry Kissinger closed the evening with a very personal tribute to Ms. Sills.
Another Sunday, another opera and next week I look forward to a performance by "Three Mo' Tenors", showcasing the versatility of African-American tenors. Directed by Marion J. Caffey, "Three Mo' Tenors" began a special New York City engagement last Wednesday (September 12), and runs through the end of January (2008).