La Boheme

[Noodley]

Which ballet was it and were the lead bloke without trousers and ballerina any good?

The first ballet I went to was Giselle performed by Northern Ballet Theatre and it was excellent.

I would go as far as saying it was stunning.

It's always better with a live orchestra - and for Crankers' benefit the alternative to being live is recorded music played through speakers

 

[feckless]

Go, get the good seats and enjoy. Opera and large-scale choral music are the two things I really miss, living in NZ.

The following may be handy if you're not sure what's going on (shamelessly copied and saved from a Usenet post about 10 years ago) ...

Well opera is, usually, not really that inspiring lyrically. For
example something like:

Fat Bloke: Colombi selvatici coi piselli

Fat Bird: Pollo al mattone!

Fat Bloke: Bucatini all'amatriciana

Chorus: Abbacchio brodettato! Abbacchio brodettato! Abbacchio
brodettato!

can sound quite interesting, even impressive, when you haven't a clue
what they are warbling on about. But translate it into English and
your typical opera sounds like:

Fat Bloke: I have a bum. I keep it in my pants!

Fat Bird: Do you have a bum?

Fat Bloke: I have a bum.

Chorus: He has a bum! He keeps it in his pants! He has a bum! He keeps
it in his pants! He has a bum! He keeps it in his pants!

Fat bird: You have a bum.

Fat Bloke: I have a bum.

Fat Bird: You keep it in your pants!

Fat bloke: I keep it in my pants!

Chorus: He has a bum! He keeps it in his pants!

Fat Bloke: Bum

Fat Bird: Bum!

Fat Bloke: Pants!

Fat Bird: Pants!

Chorus: Bum. Pants. Bum. Pants. Bum, bum, bum, pants, pants. Bum,
pants, bum. Pants! Bum! Pants! He has a bum! He keeps it in his pants!
He has a bum! He keeps it in his pants!

Fat Bloke: I have a bum, I keep it in my pants!

f

 

[feckless]

Go, get the good seats and enjoy. Opera and large-scale choral music are the two things I really miss, living in NZ.

The following may be handy if you're not sure what's going on (shamelessly copied and saved from a Usenet post about 10 years ago) ...

Well opera is, usually, not really that inspiring lyrically. For
example something like:

Fat Bloke: Colombi selvatici coi piselli

Fat Bird: Pollo al mattone!

Fat Bloke: Bucatini all'amatriciana

Chorus: Abbacchio brodettato! Abbacchio brodettato! Abbacchio
brodettato!

can sound quite interesting, even impressive, when you haven't a clue
what they are warbling on about. But translate it into English and
your typical opera sounds like:

Fat Bloke: I have a bum. I keep it in my pants!

Fat Bird: Do you have a bum?

Fat Bloke: I have a bum.

Chorus: He has a bum! He keeps it in his pants! He has a bum! He keeps
it in his pants! He has a bum! He keeps it in his pants!

Fat bird: You have a bum.

Fat Bloke: I have a bum.

Fat Bird: You keep it in your pants!

Fat bloke: I keep it in my pants!

Chorus: He has a bum! He keeps it in his pants!

Fat Bloke: Bum

Fat Bird: Bum!

Fat Bloke: Pants!

Fat Bird: Pants!

Chorus: Bum. Pants. Bum. Pants. Bum, bum, bum, pants, pants. Bum,
pants, bum. Pants! Bum! Pants! He has a bum! He keeps it in his pants!
He has a bum! He keeps it in his pants!

Fat Bloke: I have a bum, I keep it in my pants!

f

 

[rich p]

I used to do a lot of opera but after some years I decided that sitting through 2.5 hours of prancing and recititive was too much thumb-twiddling to wait for the 3 great tunes.
I now buy highlight CDs which only have the tunes.
Each to his own, of course, but if you've never been you should give it a try.
The plots are laughable melodrama which are almost entirely superfluous to the enjoyment.
Don Giovanni is my favourite live and if you're ever in Verona.....

 

[rich p]

I used to do a lot of opera but after some years I decided that sitting through 2.5 hours of prancing and recititive was too much thumb-twiddling to wait for the 3 great tunes.
I now buy highlight CDs which only have the tunes.
Each to his own, of course, but if you've never been you should give it a try.
The plots are laughable melodrama which are almost entirely superfluous to the enjoyment.
Don Giovanni is my favourite live and if you're ever in Verona.....

 

[GrumpyGregry]

what fab foodie said. Make sure you know the plot before you go or it all gets a bit confusing I find. Buying cheap seats in advance, rather than box office returns, is a guarantee of discomfort and poor sight lines. Take some field glasses / binoculars with you, put on your posh frocks and smart trousers of you want to, have a drink at the interval and enjoy it.

Everyone should go the the Opera at least once in their lives.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

what fab foodie said. Make sure you know the plot before you go or it all gets a bit confusing I find. Buying cheap seats in advance, rather than box office returns, is a guarantee of discomfort and poor sight lines. Take some field glasses / binoculars with you, put on your posh frocks and smart trousers of you want to, have a drink at the interval and enjoy it.

Everyone should go the the Opera at least once in their lives.

 

[snakehips]

Yes , go. La Boheme is a good choice for a starter.
Are there no seats between £10 and £50 ?

Snake

My Library

 

[snakehips]

Yes , go. La Boheme is a good choice for a starter.
Are there no seats between £10 and £50 ?

Snake

My Library

 

[summerdays]

You've just spoiled the plot....

I've only been twice and have found both times that its worth knowing what is supposed to be going on, as they never do it the simple way and the plot usually has lots of confusion in it together with being in a different language.

 

[summerdays]

You've just spoiled the plot....

I've only been twice and have found both times that its worth knowing what is supposed to be going on, as they never do it the simple way and the plot usually has lots of confusion in it together with being in a different language.

 

[ASC1951]

So we discover that Opera North are doing La Boheme in Leeds.

I see it's on at the Grand on 29th Jan. If you haven't been, the auditorium had a complete refurb a couple of years ago and is an experience in itself. I may even toddle along and wave at you from the cheapest seat.

I would book it now, if you are going. Opera North usually sign up a good cast and La Boheme even in Italian will probably be a sell-out. The £10 seats will be a long way from the action: you will hear perfectly well, but it's worth spending twice that to see the performers' faces not just the extravagant gestures.

Here is a challenge for you. Keep in your seat until the final curtain and flower throwing has finished, then see if you can get into the pub over the road before any member of the orchestra has started his first pint. I have never managed it yet.

In a somewhat distressing development Mrs AFO and I are making an effort to spend more time together.

That's easily solved. Get the CD, then when the Fat Lady comes to the front of the stage for her first big number, stand up and sing along noisily. Just tell the bouncers that it's what everyone does at Mama Mia.

 

[ASC1951]

So we discover that Opera North are doing La Boheme in Leeds.

I see it's on at the Grand on 29th Jan. If you haven't been, the auditorium had a complete refurb a couple of years ago and is an experience in itself. I may even toddle along and wave at you from the cheapest seat.

I would book it now, if you are going. Opera North usually sign up a good cast and La Boheme even in Italian will probably be a sell-out. The £10 seats will be a long way from the action: you will hear perfectly well, but it's worth spending twice that to see the performers' faces not just the extravagant gestures.

Here is a challenge for you. Keep in your seat until the final curtain and flower throwing has finished, then see if you can get into the pub over the road before any member of the orchestra has started his first pint. I have never managed it yet.

In a somewhat distressing development Mrs AFO and I are making an effort to spend more time together.

That's easily solved. Get the CD, then when the Fat Lady comes to the front of the stage for her first big number, stand up and sing along noisily. Just tell the bouncers that it's what everyone does at Mama Mia.

 

[ASC1951]

So we discover that Opera North are doing La Boheme in Leeds.

I see it's on at the Grand on 29th Jan. If you haven't been, the auditorium had a complete refurb a couple of years ago and is an experience in itself. I may even toddle along and wave at you from the cheapest seat.

I would book it now, if you are going. Opera North usually sign up a good cast and La Boheme even in Italian will probably be a sell-out. The £10 seats will be a long way from the action: you will hear perfectly well, but it's worth spending twice that to see the performers' faces not just the extravagant gestures.

Here is a challenge for you. Keep in your seat until the final curtain and flower throwing has finished, then see if you can get into the pub over the road before any member of the orchestra has started his first pint. I have never managed it yet.

In a somewhat distressing development Mrs AFO and I are making an effort to spend more time together.

That's easily solved. Get the CD, then when the Fat Lady comes to the front of the stage for her first big number, stand up and sing along noisily. Just tell the bouncers that it's what everyone does at Mama Mia.

 

[Globalti]

It would help if you familiarised yourself with some of the beautiful arias before going. The arias are the lovely solo bits that get used as film music or for TV commercials.