On an impulse, I bought 3 tickets to see Madame Butterfly at the Met with my 2 boys. I was convinced that this would be GOOD for their soul, transform them into cultured, more well rounded beings. Or to borrow my husbands analysis…I was over taken by my “Superior Motherhood” gene!
A week before I started to prep them--or better yet, manage expectations. I said:
• You won’t understand a WORD they are singing
• It could be boring
• There won’t be many kids (if any!)
• Everyone dresses up
• It’ll be a late night
Yuk…even I began to question my reasoning. Then, I had to remind myself that when my mom took my brother and me to see Beverly Sills in Madame Butterfly as kids,we LOVED it.
So I marched ahead, well dressed boys in tow. I took them to dinner beforehand and plied them with Cokes and a huge slice of Chocolate Cake!
We entered Lincoln Center with all its glitter and glamour. They were in awe of the theater and immediately stood taller among all the adults. Some of the older, more seasoned folks looked apprehensive (Their body language screamed “Please don’t sit next to us!”). While the younger people smiled encouragingly…seaming to say, ”Good luck, with that!”
The first act opened and my boys were on the edge of their seats. Thanks to modern technology, they followed the story line on the big Jumbotron above the stage.
Ha! There were only a few yawns and many tears shed by both me and my youngest. The boys LOVED it, yelled BRAVO! and asked when we could see another one! I was both pleasantly surprised and delighted. Whew! I could now check that box off in their Must Experience Before Leave Home box…
And, I guess there is a good reason that Opera still manages to fill theaters. It reaches around us and touches our soul.
Monday, April 7, 2008
When I'm Overtaken by my Superior Motherhood Gene!
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2 comments:
Hi Vicki.(I'm writing you here because your email link on the blog doesn't seem to work for me). As a life-long opera fan, I am thrilled to read that your children responded so enthusiastically to seeing Madame Butterfly. I think it's great that you exposed the art form to them so early.
As a life-long Beverly Sills fan who now maintains a tribute website to her career, I wanted to correct the record - Sills never sang Madame Butterfly in any part of her career (too heavy a role for her voice). However, I'd love to know the approximate date or at least the year your mother took you to see Sills, because I can tell you what Sills was singing at the time, and what you might have seen her in. Or if you need to know who you did see singing Butterfly at NYCO with your mother, I can do that too (I have the complete performance annals of NYCO). Either way, I'm glad to know that your mother passed on the opera gene to you and that are doing the same for you family.
Cheers. - Roy
Vicki--How great! I really enjoyed reading about your opera experience. I have never been and have thought I wouldn't enjoy it...now I want to try it...and take our child/children when we have one.
We miss you guys. We want to come out before August.
Love - Jess
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