While reading the play, “Tosca,” my expectations for this opera were slowly dwindling with each page. But, I kept my hopes high being that this was going to be my first professional opera experience. And boy, what an experience it was. The bus ride there was met with many bumps and a rear suspension of ridiculous proportions on that cheese bus. But, hey, it was fun to have that kind of experience with my newfound family of Macaulay kids. When we got there, Lisa did not know which theater was the correct one, so, being that I went to school in Lincoln Center, I lead the class. When we walked into the hall, I was entranced by the beautiful red color of the seats and the surrounding theater, and the absolutely gorgeous chandeliers that cascaded down from the roof. Then, the singing started, and I was taken back. The voices that came out of these singers were unbelievable. The man who played Mario had such a beautiful tone and his register was perfect for a tenor singer. He has a similar register to my brother and his belts were in tune. He was hitting notes effortlessly and without any strain in his voice. The soprano singer who played Floria was absolutely immaculate with her singing. Her range was phenomenal and her aria in the second act had me mouth agape the entire time. When she hit the high C at the peak of the aria, it was absolutely beautiful. She deserved the ovation that she got after she sang the aria, opposed to what some of my other classmates (Stephen) thought. The man who played Scarpia matched how I thought Scarpia would look. He looked menacing and his voice matched the character. He had a low register, but was able to hit higher notes and this added to the character. His body language as he was singing corresponded with what his character’s behavior was throughout the play. I cannot write this entry without complimenting the pit orchestra. The conductor was very flamboyant and reminded me a lot of Leonard Bernstein with his conducting style. He let the singers choose the pace of the song and followed them, which I felt was perfect for this type of opera where there is a lot of emotion to be captured through song and body language. One more thing to compliment on was the scenery. It was very complex and it was huge! I could not believe that they put these types of sets up during twenty minute intermissions and i credit the stage crew with their impeccable craftsmanship. I thoroughly enjoyed my first opera experience and I hope to go back to the opera sometime soon either with my Macaulay family, or my own family.

(I put the rose in to symbolize love. Tacky, but, whatever.)