Madama Butterfly

 

Last evening after dinner was all cleared away and waiting for me to get it washed up, I left Steve to see if he could find a movie that we hadn’t seen to relax with for the evening. When I came back into the room instead of getting scolded, which sometimes happens because he is pretty rubbish at selecting movies, he instead had found a real gem. What I saw set up ready to start was the Royal Opera House production of Madama Butterfly. What was even more amazing, was that it was the very same production that we had gone to the Royal Opera House to see live when it was first on there.

Now don’t go thinking that we must have had a most extravagant moment to go to a live opera at somewhere so famous and grand that it must cost an arm and a leg to buy a ticket. Well you can pay a lot of money to sit in the best seats but it is also possible, if you get yourself organised, you can pick up some of the cheap seats that are available. You need to be quick and have done some research beforehand. At the time we booked we were able to pick up positions quite close to the stage but admittedly right on one side of this magnificent theatre. The places were really cheap; I won’t swear to it but I seem to recall that we only paid £19 each and yes there was a bit of a catch in that they were standing spots where the most you can do is lean on the slanting rail. 

We are both quite fit and standing during the performance was not a hardship at all and in fact we were able to not feel quite so daft when we were crying our eyes out before the last act. So back to last night’s recording of this very performance. We were therefore forewarned and had a box of tissues placed on a little table between us. Our evening in the Royal Opera house was marvellous but it was still wonderful to indulge ourselves again with the same cast and the same conductor. We were both unable to speak because of the emotion well before the end though we were not at all self conscious sitting holding hands at home sniffing and sobbing fit to bust.

Thank you ROH once again. We wish we were rich and could donate but we are not. So, all we can do it thank you to the ROH and thank everybody equally, who work so hard toward perfection of this kind. Not just the marvellous cast and orchestra and conductor but the wardrobe staff and the wig makers, scenery shifters and everybody.