They say it takes a village to raise a child. It certainly
takes a village to create meaningful arts experiences for children. Here at Boston
Lyric Opera (BLO) we often hear stories about what got people interested in
opera. Sometimes it’s a production they attended as a child. Sometimes it’s a
moment that comes later, like marrying an opera-lover. Last year at BLO’s
annual Open House we put up a giant wall mural with the staff members’ stories
and gave guests a place to write their own memories of what got them into
opera. Now we want to hear from you. Leave us a comment and tell us about the
person, performance, or production that sparked your interest in the arts
(opera or otherwise). All those who leave comments will be entered into a random
drawing for a free Macbeth t-shirt!
It may sound silly, but seeing the 1987 film "Moonstruck" at age 16 was how I got interested in opera. Part of the story line was Puccini's La Boheme. When I heard the love duet "O soave fanciulla" I was hooked!
ReplyDeleteMy fondest opera memory is of trips to the Metropolitan Opera with my late mother when I was 11 or 12 years old. My mother had grown up in Denver, Colorado, listening to the Met on the radio, and seized the opportunity of our family’s move to Long Island in 1968 to fulfill a lifelong dream of introducing her children to the real thing. I can remember like it was yesterday the gentlemen of the Opera Club in their white ties and tails, the hush as the great chandelier rose to the rafters, and the glee in my mother’s voice as she explained to me what a privilege it was to hear the likes of Richard Tucker, Birgitt Nilsson, Marilyn Horne and Robert Merrill live on the great stage.
ReplyDeleteI've enjoyed early opera since college, but wasn't interested in anything past Mozart - too much vibrato warbling diva singing. A couple years ago I dated a guy who was getting a lot of work in opera. I sat through 2 Donizettis and a contemporary piece. Wait - where's the annoying warbling? The relationship didn't last very long, but my expanded affection for opera is still around.
ReplyDeleteI came to opera through 20th century cinema. Growing up and watching films with Lanza, Grayson, Powell, McDonald, and Eddy I was exposed to opera. Of course the Hollywood "glamorized" versions often had little in common with the real product.
ReplyDeleteIn college I took an Intro to Opera and was hooked. I "supered" for Boston Lyric Opera in 1990--and the rest is history. MACBETH will be my 38th opera with BLO.
I have to credit my daughter--now a vocal performance major at BU--for sparking my passion for opera. For her 18th birthday, we attended a performance of "Der Rosenkavalier" at the Met and it was there that my love affair with opera truly began. How could you NOT fall in love at the Met? We now have a tradition of going to the Met each January to celebrate our birthdays and I've seen several performances at the Lyric in Chicago, as well as experiencing numerous "Live in HD from the Met" performances in theaters. Of course, my favorite-to-date is BU's recent staging of "Romeo et Juliette." With my daughter living in Boston, I hope to experience a BLO production very soon! Wishing you a very successful season.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Amy Knight - you've won a Macbeth t-shirt! Email marketing@blo.org to collect your winnings!
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