Madame Butterfly

I attended my first opera, ever.  When I decided to have 39 experiences before I turned 40 I mentioned this idea to a couple of my friends.  Immediately, my good friends Kelli and Karen said that they wanted to do some of the things on the list with me.  So when it came time to purchase tickets for the opera, I mentioned it to them and said I was going to take my mom.  Kelli and Karen got on the band wagon and invited their mom.  This not only became an opportunity to go to the opera but a mother-daughter time for bonding.  We met up and had brunch at Veritable Quandry.  Afterwards we had a little bit of time so the six of us walked to the riverfront and had a cup of coffee.  


When planning this, we had not realized that opera coincided with the superbowl.  It was a packed house with every seat filled.  I bought the tickets online and requested best available.  Little did I know that what great seats we had.  As we walked down the ramp at the Keller auditorium, we found our seats 3 rows from the stage.  Maybe it was a good idea to go to the opera on the same day as the superbowl after all.

At Madame Butterfly

Things to note when attending the opera:

• It is Portland and so one does not have to be dressed up
• Late seating is not allowed so make sure you are there in advance
• You can't understand Italian - not to worry, there is a thin screen above the stage with subtitles  (However I did not notice this right away and then found it distracting to look up and then look back at the singers)  With that being said it did give me a better understanding of Puccini's famous aria from Madame Butterfly, Un Bel di Vedremo.  I've heard it so many times, but experiencing the opera and Butterfly's belief of how she will be reunited with her love was moving.

To listen to the aria click on the link below
Un Bel di Vedremo

The question now is will I attend an opera in the future?  Possibly...I don't see myself being a season ticket holder, but I would be open to going again if it was an opera that peaked my interest.  I think for my mom, she would prefer going to the symphony, especially if they were playing Debussy. Overall, it was an around wonderful experience on so many levels.