Thing 193 A Night at the Opera

Let's all be very honest here, do I strike you as the type that would enjoy a night at the opera? Saturday's are best spent with rugby and Guinness. I never thought for a second that this would be the kind of thing that I'd enjoy... It was unreal. Amazing. Flabbergasting. Stunning. I know I'm given to hyperbole, but I can honestly tell you that I think this was one of the best nights I've had since I started the Project, and there have been lots of good nights.

My first fear was a simple enough one: You can't polish a turd, and putting me into a suit isn't going to fool anyone into thinking I'm posh. Opera's posh right? They're going to know it's a fraud... If they did, certainly no one seemed to care. The atmosphere was light and breezy, even for a huge crowd of people in suits.

Second fear: I'm going to be bored out of my mind and I'll disturb the other patrons with my snoring... No chance. Mind you, we picked a good one to go see. The Golden Ticket is the opera version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It all might have been lost on me if we'd been looking at an 18th Century Austrian show with the big lady who screams the songs out as my very first operatic experience, but it was a well loved childhood classic instead. The talent (and I'm not talking about women smart arses), was incredible. The stage and set can be summed up in one expression: classy.

P.S. That photo up top is me and the man who played Granfather Joe. Leg-end.

I guess it kind of helped that the Opera House in Wexford is so savage and that me and The Thief were set up with top notch seats, front row and centre. Just look at the photo? Impressed? Sure you are. Jealous? Of course you are. I don't blame you. Am I smug much? Indeed I am.

I'm sure it's not for everybody, there's bound to people out there that have no interest and who won't engage with it, but there's no reason at all why that should be true. If you're going to give it a shot though, try it out with something in English first would be my advice. Like I say, the danger would be that you'd get lost with the classics.
It was a classy night out. And if I can pull off classy, you'll do just fine.

For the lads out there, take the missus on a date. Dress up snappy (for a change, you lazy bums), go for dinner. I'm sure there are other Opera venues around the country, but I think I might be in love with the Wexford Opera House. Apparently the acoustics are among the best in the world, not that I'd notice, philistine that I am. And if you're going to be in Wexford - Simon's Place is the bar me and The Thief went to with some of the gang we met at the centre. Solid pint. Good banter.

Now that I think about it, I wonder if they'd let me commute to work from Wexford...
And for my next trick... they let me move in a grand piano into the Opera House the next day... that should be entertaining right?