Casa de Quinn Goes to the Opera

Okay, so I've been running around like a chicken with its head cut off, busier than a one armed paper hanger, so I haven't posted in a while. But I did get a surprise anniversary date from The Man last Friday. Damn is he good.

This month we celebrate lucky thirteen. He made reservations to a very nice Italian restaurant where we ate a leisurely dinner. Then we attended the opening night of Puccini's La Boheme. Three of the four main performers were very good. The fourth, who played Rodolpho, was good, but didn't project very well and was drowned out by the orchestra. Though he did do a nice job on his aria from the first act. (Click here if you'd like to hear it done exceptionally well.) He seemed not to have the stamina to keep up through the whole performance. Otherwise, it was wonderful. The sets and costumes were well done, the performers could act and sing. The two sopranos were terrific.

If you don't know, La Boheme is a four act opera, and the performance ran three hours with intermissions. But it flew by. This is one of the great pairings of good story and and excellent music. I knew the libretto, and began to tear up in the first act because I knew how it would end. By the middle of the third act I was crying, and by the end, I was done for. I can be such a girl at times.

This was the fifth opera we've seen together. Barber of Seville, The Marriage of Figaro, Carmen, and Mdme. Butterfly are the others we've gone to. I love opera, but some days this is about as much opera as I can take.



But Friday was a fantastic surprise and an awesome night all around. Good food, good wine, good music. Outstanding company. The Man is one of a kind.

So tell me, has your significant other ever surprised you? Let's hear about it!