Opera Season Begins

Tonight I have a date with my boyfriend. Adam and I will be attending our first of eight opera's for this season. You are probably thinking to yourself "Who in their right mind would want to attend an opera"? It is actually really enjoyable. When I started dating Adam 4 years ago, he mentioned to me that his parent's have season tickets for the opera and he wanted to know if I might be interested in going some time. Being the nice girlfriend that I am, I said sure. I didn't think I would really enjoy it. It was awesome. The Chicago Lyric Opera House is BEAUTIFUL!!!!

Here are a few of my most memorable experiences from the opera's the last few years:

• The Candy Lady-Since we have season tickets, we always sit in the same seats. A few people around us also have season tickets, so we generally sit with the same people. The Candy Lady sits a few seats to the left in front of us. At my very first opera the person sitting next to Adam was unwrapping some candy during the performance. It wasn't that loud that all. During the intermission, the Candy Lady turned around and demonstrated to the adult how she unwraps her candy before the performance beings. She was nice about it, but talked to this person like they were an idiot. She hasn't done it since, but she is now The Candy Lady to me.
• There have been numerous times that Adam and I changed our clothes on the way to the opera in the car. We would always leave Indiana after work and head to the city. I am very surprised we never walked in with clothes backwards or inside out. It is nice that I can get ready at home and just go to the opera now.
• The is only 1 opera we left in the middle of it because it was so boring. Dialogues des Carmelites is about some nuns who are having problems. Most of the sets for these operas are the most beautiful sight you will ever see. This opera had no set, just a black wall. Adam and I looked at each other during intermission and decided it was time to go.
• During one opera, the person sitting next to Adam was a little smelly. We think he fried about 50 onions in butter and then came to the opera. It was a little disgusting.
• If any of you have ever seen the movie Pretty Woman, then you will remember the scene where Richard Gere's character takes Julia Roberts character to the opera. I got to see that opera. It is called La Traviata. I was so excited when I realized during the opera that this is the opera that was in Pretty Woman. Adam probably thought I was crazy.
• The lady who sits directly in front of us has two adult children. It is always interesting to see which child comes to the opera with her and which one of them gets to bring their spouse. I think they are waiting for her to kick the bucket so that they can have the tickets all to themselves.
• The opera is very strict about being in your seat when the performance starts. They do not seat people once the curtain has gone up. You have to wait for intermission. Adam and I missed 1 performance because we were late. This was right around the time that I found out I would be moving to Chicago to run the Navy Pier store. I think we were consumed by being with our friends and lost track of time.

I am excited about this opera season. The two performances I am most excited about are Porgy and Bess and Madam Butterfly. Tonight we are seeing The Pearl Fishers. It is about 2 brothers fighting over the same girl. It should be fun.