The Perks

The dirty vodka martinis at Morton's arrive and Tracy and I toast each other.  We are having a drink and an appetizer at the famous steakhouse while we wait to go across the street to Keller Auditorium.  My First Year Seminar class is attending the opera.  It's a requirement of the class.  Every incoming freshman must attend the opera and one play over the course of the term.  It unifies the freshman class, gives them all a common experience, and the university was nice enough to get a ticket for Tracy so she could accompany me.  We're using the occasion as a mini-date night opportunity.

The opera performance is actually a combination of two operettas: Pagliacci and Carmina Burana.  Pagliacci was a joy.  It was a wonderful play within a play.  I was worried a bit because ever since I read Stephen King's "It" I've been nervous about clowns.  There was no reason to worry though.  While the opera begins a little slow the second half speeds by and is full of bawdy humor and tragedy.  There were a couple of times when the freshmen girls behind me gasped or uttered, "Oh my god, what are they doing?!"

Tracy and I laughed at their prudishness and held hands throughout the show.  I miss that to be honest with you.  I don't hold Tracy's hand often enough.  It was nice to sit there in the dark of the theater, having a new experience, and sharing it with her through our intertwined fingers.  We laughed quite a bit throughout Pagliacci.

Carmina Burana was not my favorite.  It was an operetta made up of secular poetry from like the 16th century and was all about springtime and sex.  Don't get me wrong, I normally love the sex talk, but how many times can you hear the flower opening as metaphor for sexuality line before it becomes a bit tiresome?  Well, I didn't count but it became tiresome.  Above the stage is a screen that translates the lyrics into English so people like me can understand the content of the show.  I swear to you that I looked up at one point and the monitor read, "My virginity teases me."  I laughed out loud.  Probably not the best example for the instructor to make in front of his students, but, hey, it was funny.

Body Vox, a local dance company, danced throughout the whole production and this was the best part of Carmina Burana.  Well, that was until one of my students blurted out, "You can see that guy's ass sweat."  Well, she was right.  You could totally see that guys ass sweat and, now, the ONLY thing I could see was that guy's ass sweat.  Luckily there were only ten more minutes left in the production.

So, not bad for an additional educational duty I'd say.  Tracy and I got to see a show, talk over cocktails and appetizers, hold hands, and relax for an evening.  Now, if I could only get the image of that guy's sweaty ass pants out of my mind it would be a perfect evening.