L’elisir D’amore

This was my first time at the Metropolitan Opera, and I was quite surprised at how fancy it all was. From the gorgeous fountains in the courtyard to the glistening chandeliers inside, everything was stunning.

And then, of course, there was the red velvet. Everywhere.

Strangely, all the red velvet made me hungry because it made me think of cake, which then led me to realize that I hadn’t eaten supper. However, as we made our way up the stairs, then up more stairs, and then up some more, the red velvet went from reminding me of cake to looking extremely inviting and comfortable. After some more climbing we finally reached our seats in the very last row of highest level and I gratefully collapsed.

As soon as the performance began, I was hooked. I don’t know what it was I was expecting of the opera, but it was definitely not a performance that was so enjoyable. The storyline was amusing and the individual screens in front of each seat made it easy to follow along. The acoustics were unbelievable as well. Every word was clear and sharp, reaching all the way to our “nose-bleed” seats; all this without the use of voice amplifiers (or so I’m told).

Every character in L’elisir D’amore had a distinct personality and it was fun watching the absurd story unfold. Nemorino is the kind peasant willing to do anything for his love. Adina is the gorgeous girl who is used to always getting her way. Belcore is the arrogant sergeant who believes he is man’s gift to mankind. And then there’s the favorite Dulcamara who succeeds in turning a whole town into a lot of alcoholics.

Needless to say I thoroughly enjoyed my first opera performance, and I plan on trying out some more in the near future.