Back to the Grind

Well, I'm back to Columbus after a wonderful trip to NYC. As fortune would have it, I ended up with an extra day in the city due to severe thunderstorms over LGA. I arrived at the airport for my flight at 3:40p, and the monitor kept pushing back the departure time as I saw each and every flight after mine gradually cancelled....4:15p......4:45p.........5:35p........6:40p......at which point I promptly approached the counter and asked if I could be booked on a flight the next day, free of charge. No problem. The minute I re-booked my flight for the next day, my original flight was cancelled, followed by a mad rush to the ticket counter. Just in time. : )

I am a strong  believer in "fate," and that everything happens for a reason. As it turns out, while I was waiting at the airport, I was reading a recent copy of Opera News. Under events was listed the annual "Mostly Mozart" festival based primarily at Lincoln Center. As luck would have it, that night was the second day of the festival and opening night for South Pacific. Not wanting to miss out on the opportunity to see the show at the Lincoln Center Theatre, I quickly boarded a bus back into the city, dropped my things off at Teddi's apartment (who graciously let me return after my cancelled flight), and hustled to Lincoln Center. I thought that it would likely be a sold-out show, so had planned on wondering around the west side of the city if I was unable to get a ticket. For those of you who don't like doing things by yourself, LET ME TELL YOU, sometimes alone is the way to go, especially when it comes to high arts, theater, symphony, opera, etc. There are often single tickets "floating" around in the front rows (where people pay more money than you could believe). As such, I lucked out, with a dead-center, fifth row seat to South Pacific. I couldn't have been happier. It was a wonderful show and the voices and acting were both superb. In keeping with tradition, the man who played the lead character "Emile de Becque" was an operatic baritone. (The 1949 premiere featured operatic baritone Ezio Pinza who sung at the MET, La Scala, and other renowned houses.) My only complaint was that the voices of "Nellie Forbush," the leading lady, was not well matched with "de Becque," but I suppose that's what you get when you have someone of the musical theater persuasion, who is used to regular mic use, matched up against an operatic baritone who relies on the natural projection of his voice. You do the math.

To say the least, it was an uneventful trip back, followed by LOTS of unpacking and organizing since I was only in Columbus for two days between vacations before jetting off to NY. Now, back in Columbus, I'm back at the symphony beginning the next phase of planning since today and tomorrow are the closing concerts of the summer concert series, "Picnic with the Pops." This weekend is certain to be quite the event considering it features the OSU Marching Band, which in this territory is "the best damn band in the land." Speaking of planning, the symphony is looking to do a young professionals networking event in conjunction with the symphony's open rehearsals. I am brainstorming ideas of how to draw a young professional audience, so if you have any suggestions, don't hesitate to offer them! We are planning on complimentary hors d'oeuvres, a cash bar, and some sort of downtown "parking special." Why would YOU come to an event like this? Thanks in advance for the feedback!