Now this is opera.

Tonight I went and saw the Seattle Opera's production of Aida. Wowzahs. Now that is what opera should be. Dozens of people singing at the top of their lungs about how the person standing four feet from them will never love them while the other hundred people on stage sing at the top of their lungs about nothing whatsoever. I don't know why people in opera think that the person right next to them can't hear them belting out "does she suspect what I did" but there you go. It's part of the ridiculousness that makes it so much fun. The music was beautiful, the libretto was spectacular. When the pharaoh walks out with his bazillions of slaves and guards surrounded in piles of gold trinkets, outrageous! Then Amneris, what a piece of work. I'm not a huge fan of opera and I could take it or leave it, but if you ever decide to see what it's like, this is the one to see. I just wish that next to the English subtitles that are broadcast at the top of the theatre, I could add Chris subtitles. For instance, when Radames sings "I can't leave my country" I would add "well, I kinda just got this huge job promotion and let's be honest, we can't live off of your slave salary, so how practical is it really to move to Ethiopia?" Or when Amneris sings "Aida, prepare. You are my rival", I would add "Ohh girl. You gonna wish you was never ever born. Captain man is mine." I think I could single-handedly repopularize Opera. Too bad the people who actually really do go for it wouldn't stand up for that sort of ridicule. Oh, and I could never fight the tide of people that think that an ultra-goofy weird modern dance (did I mention it was lame) in the middle of Egypt in the 4000 BC is a good idea. For better pics of the opera, go to www.seattleopera.org