Take Me to The Met!

Considering the fact that I’ve never been to any opera, or show of such sort, I must say that my first experience will forever be a grand memory. From the high-class red velvet arena of classical Italian melodies to chandeliers that have more crystal and shimmer than Lady Gaga’s normal wardrobe, L’Esir d’Amore definitely made lasting impression and has changed my opinion of boring binocular viewed operas.

Even before the entering the venue, the whole essence of New York City and the arts came to life right before my eyes as the fountain, in contrast to the dark city sky, indicated a magical night. I couldn’t help but snap a quick default picture for Instagram. As I continued into the Met, I must admit that I felt out of place. In the midst of tuxedos and red velvet everything, I thought I was in an episode of Gossip Girl. To top that off, my class was practically in the last row in the family circle. I could touch the wooden ceiling…literally.

However, as the Gaga-esque chandeliers raised and the crowd grew silent, all these thoughts of foreignism went away.

I was immediately drawn by Nemorino’s strangely hypnotizing voice. Played by Matthew Polezani, Nemorino’s lonely but relatable character belts out his heart and soul into every scene with either pity, comedic relief, or as in one memorable scene, heart wrenching sorrow that was just asking the audience to hug him (Which actually got him a round of applause). Throughout the play, his character drew me in even more as his versatility between his acting and singing combined into a perfect performance.

In addition to Nemorino, his female counter part, Adina, portrayed by Anna Netrebko, plays an equally powerful counterpart with an octave range similar to that of Mariah Carey, something that I would think was impossible. At first, I was dismissive of Adina’s character due to her elitist attitude in choosing her suitor. However, her character grew on me as she became somewhat relatable to people when she learned of her jealous heart for Nemorino. Her humility in the play gained my respect in a sense as it reminded me of past personal situations. Nonetheless, the balance of acting and voice, like Nemorino’s character, was just right. This chemistry and relationship almost reminded me of many characters on Glee in the sense of relationship drama and musicality.

While Nemorino and Adina may be the two stars of the play, I must also tip my hat off to Ambrogio Maestri, who plays the misleading but comical Dulcamara, the doctor with the love potion who puts this whole story in motion. If it wasn’t for his tactile businessman skills and salesman comedic charm, I don’t think I would have been as interested and into the play as I was. In any form of play or movie, especially in comedy-drama, there seems to be that one character who knows what to say with that good punch line or pun. In this case, it’s definitely Dulcamara. The ingeniousness of Donizetti sees Maestri’s character sing, in my opinion, the most memorable song of the night: Utide, Utide o Rustici. Donizetti combines the whit of Dulcamara with his deep but infectious voice to make the audience laugh not once, but twice, including the end. This standout song definitely had me laughing here and there with its ironic notations of love, fortune, and health. It’s definitely something one could see as a Broadway song. Moreover, I can say that Dulcamara’s character definitely stole the show, for me at least.

Besides the whole show itself, I must also talk about the actual and physical experience of such a show. Our professor told us how we were going to sit at the very back and I thought he was actually kidding but, as luck goes, he wasn’t. However, he noted that due to the acoustic arrangement of the Met, we had the best seats in the house, aurally. And although I can’t judge from the audience’s view from below us, I must admit that I was able to hear pretty well. Professor Minter wasn’t joking when you could hear everything! That cough from way down low during a dramatic pause was definitely a killer.

To be honest, I wasn’t expecting so much “life,” if I can call it that, at an opera. When I imagine operas, I stereotype aristocratic elitists dressed in the finest of clothing with handkerchiefs that cost more than a ticket, to be primed with their noses so high up. In addition, I imagined a very plain and dry play. But I’m glad I was proven wrong. My eyes were opened to a new field of the arts that I definitely enjoyed.

There’s a first time for everything…and I definitely won’t forget this culturing and refined experience. Although I may not find myself sitting in at the Met anytime soon due to prices I shall not speak of, if given the opportunity, I would definitely grab those tickets. It’s an enriching experience that you can only gain something from! You can’t lose! (Maybe money. Shout out to Macaulay for those far but free tickets!)