Dancing Through Life

Here are some of the highlights from my first summer out of school. While not looking for jobs I have been dancing, camping, attending weddings and seeing great movies. More is yet to come, I'm sure so I'll try and write a bunch of shorter posts instead of long ones every once in awhile. We'll see how that goes! Thanks for reading and enjoy the stories...

Adventures with Katie Gard

Lately I've been getting invitations from my dear friend Katie Gard to hang out with her during her spuratic trips to the Twin Cities. Usually her reason for being down here has something to do with her sisters, Jennifer and Susie, but sometimes she gets these grad ideas of an adventure we can embark on. These adventures have revolved around food and dancing! We went to Whole Foods, specialty bakeries in the Cities and Noodles & Company. (One of my favorite fast-ish food places!) The dancing was fantastic! More-so the second time than the first. The first time, Katie had an inch to go salsa dancing since she had recently learned the steps. Katie has a lot of style when she dances so it was fun to watch her! 

We decided to go to a Latino dance/bar near the U of M. We thought there would be more authentic dancers, but most of the people there did it for more...social reasons...and we witnessed this firsthand. There were two guys who occupied us for most of the night. They wanted to dance close as they practiced their English. We  tried to be kind but as it came closer to the time for us to leave, we had to give them an ultimatum; only one more dance! haha They kept begging us to stay but we left. It was a learning experience, indeed.

Our second time around was absolutely magical! We went to Tapestry Folkdance Center in Minneapolis for swing dance lessons and a free dance afterwords. Katie's sister Jennifer joined us, which was a treat! We learned the lindy style of swing. It's more fluid than East coast style. The guys basically do everything and we follow. I finally learned to follow! It's a big step for me not to calculate in my head where the lead may be taking me. I thought that was my duty, but I've found that it's more trouble for the lead when followers do that. And it's more fun as a follow just to be swung around and around till you get dizzy! This happened quite a lot, actually. Many times we found that some partners were all about the spins and almost completely forgot the basic steps. There were a variety of people. Many of them our age! Everyone was asking everyone to dance! It was a friendly, welcoming atmosphere. Most of the guys would dance with you once and then move on, but they were very kind gentlemen. 

One in particular, an older Asian gentleman, shared his philosophy of dancing with me...He asked me: "How many feet do you have? How many hands? Two, right? Well, there's only so many ways you can move them, so you don't need lessons to know how to dance. Just move!" He was such a gentle lead. I felt like I was gliding across the floor by Fred Astaire himself! Not surprisingly, Astaire is one of the people this gentleman 'learned' from. :)

I can see how in previous societies, like Jane Austen's, that dancing was an acceptable way to find someone to marry. While dancing, you find out pretty quickly how compatible you are physically and conversationally. And swing is fun enough that it won't get too serious if you don't want to. This was the perfect environment to meet some quality people. Thanks Katie for the fabulous adventure! Hope to have more soon :) 

I can't wait to go back to Tapestry. Hopefully I can bring my swing-dancing friend, Matt Kroll with me ;)


Rachael Wittern (now Green)'s Wedding 

On June 26th, my friend Rachael Wittern was married in a lovely ceremony to Aaron Green. I had never met the groom, but since he had survived Rach for a few years, I guess he could handle her ;) No, no, in all seriousness, when I observed them together I could tell that they enjoyed each others' silliness, but, more importantly, she seems to genuinely respect and care for him. They seem perfect for each other in that they want to take the journey God has planned for them together. The ceremony was beautiful because it was personal and family oriented. The ring was bared in a locked case by a secret agent wearing shades! Hilarious! The reception hall was decorated with Rachael's favorite animal, the frog :) I was so thankful to be there to celebrate with her and her family. 

After we saw the bride and groom off, I spent some quality time at a cabin with Jen Marks, Meg Griwac and Katie Gard. Monica Filman needed to head home, otherwise she might have stayed with us. We were able to just hang out and catch up on each others' lives. We asked silly and hard questions while the rain pounded down outside. We were cozy, and very tired. It had been a long week for them preparing for the wedding, so they had earned a good rest. The time we had together was such a blessing. 

Camping with Ruth and Sam

Ruth, Sam and I planned a little get together for the 4th of July weekend. We camped in Guthrie Center, Iowa at Springbrook. Our campsite was by the creek, among trees and had plenty of room for all of us to park our cars. We successfully set up our own tent and built a few fires! I brought my new little brill to grill some hot dogs and buns. We also had a fire pit where we roasted marshmallows and threw in little smoke bombs to celebrate our country's birth. Sparklers were our favorite way to celebrate! We put them in our empty bottles to make them look like lamps haha! I had my first experience catching lightning bugs/ fireflies! I had never seen so many in my life. They were enchantingly beautiful bobbing around the creek...On our little hike we picked up some snails whom we named and created soap opera-type scenarios as to how they all were related :) That was our perfect first day...

We awoke to rain, rain and more rain...so we took the hour drive to Des Moines and the Jordan Creek Mall. It was more fun to be dry in there than to be soaked outside. We explored creative shops like Teavanna, toy stores and the huge Sheills with two-story tree inside. So you could argue that we got some outdoors experience there :) 

Since the rain had not stopped by the time we returned and there was a strong chance of a storm coming, we packed up our campsite and checked into a nearby motel. The woman at the desk was, at first, very suspicious of us. She grilled us with some questions about how old we were and such, but when I told her that we had come from the campsite and didn't want to get caught in the storm, her attitude lightened considerably! She gave us the room closest to where we had parked. We felt bad about bringing all our muddy things into the room but we found something that no one expected...a pair of socks that had been kicked off in the night by the previous sleeper...EWWWWW! So that was the bed we set up the tent on. Didn't feel guilty at all for doing that. We just hope the owners would change the sheets then! We slept in our sleeping bags on the other bed. We played Nertz till we passed out. The next morning we had breakfast outside on my picnic blanket. Since Ruth had announced her move to Colorado, it was a sad parting for us...but not without the hope of a visits in the future. 

Those are my adventures so far, but more are sure to come! I'm still actively looking for a job. Just need to figure out where the Lord is leading me.

Coming Up: My Movie Review Special!    

Blessings to you all, 

~Jess 

The Graduate is Still Learning

Hi All!

Even though I've been a graduate for almost a month, I'm still learning things about interviews, job search and other life subjects including love, family and friendship.


Interviews: I haven't had many yet, but my first one was not what I expected...

Lesson Learned: Don't get emotionally tied to a job, no matter how assured it may seem. I learned the hard way that sometimes you have to give up what you think you want for what is right for you. I wanted to take over a job for a friend, but her boss and I couldn't communicate very well. But the Lord turned it into a blessing because I was able to contact a program for disabled adults that I could work for. I'm keeping my options open, but that's part of my next lesson.

Job Search: I have so many interests and things I could do, I feel rather lost when searching online or on company listings...

Lesson Learned: Find what you want do to and focus on jobs around that industry or job description. I'm finding that I'm not as attracted to pure PR jobs, I like the communications-type jobs. I also am trying to stay in companies that focus around subjects I'm interested in like people with disabilites, the arts, books, music.

Networking: I've been using every connection my family and I can muster so that I know what's out there for me.

Lesson Learned: People are very willing to help! A few of my mom's church friends got together with me and gave me a huge list of companies I should check out for in-house communications and publishers in the area. I've also found connections through friends and extended family. The people I've contacted have been kind and helpful in letting me know their wisdom, where they work and what they do. It's been fun getting to know new people and places I could work.

Place to work: I thought I wanted to work at a small agency but since I was told about the flexibility and security experienced with larger companies, my perspective has changed a bit.

I've been working with my mom's preschool class the past few weeks so I'm sad to not see their beautiful faces every day, but I'm glad they are getting a summer break. They've earned it! I love those little ones. I'll miss Paige, Logan, Austin and Clara the most. They are so precious!

Love: I recently watched the movie "The Young Victoria" and the love story was impactful for me. I had heard exerpts from Victoria's diaries and some of the details stuck with me. She didn't say much about her wedding night except that he helped put on her stockings in the morning. So sweet! The movie depicted their relationship and life situation very, very well! Their love seemed so pure, genuine and suprising considering it was, ultimately, an arranged marriage. He did seem to give her an inner strength that she lost when he died 20 years later. And that the glorious Victorian era was made possible through his hard work by her side.
I've been praying, subconsciously, that my marriage be something like theirs in the sense of their near perfect compatibility and their similar dreams. I just need to find my dreams and come along side the one God has in mind for me. That gives me peace, finally, after all these years of fretting about who I'm going to be with. The past few years I've haven't thought about it, but now that I'm on my own I think a lot more about it.

Family: Since my grandma moved in with us this weekend, I've seen a transformation in the way my family supports each other. It's been a little overwhelming but we're all helping out as we can. Lesley and I both tend ask what we can do before we head out to do our thing. I've moved downstairs with Lesley since Grandpa needs to be in my room. It's worth it knowing that Grandma can stay on the same level of the house most of the day.

Dad Update: Dad is done with his treatments as of a month ago. We haven't had time to tell everyone because we had Chicago, Graduation and transition into summer. But a month out, he's doing great. Almost too great! haha Sometimes I wish he would rest a little bit, but I guess he's just used to using all the energy he has he just keeps on using it up. But now he has more to burn! Go, Daddy, go! He's tearing up the yard, literally, and getting it beautified so that we can enjoy being outside in thie lovely weather.

Friendship: To be honest, I'm in a social desert right now. I'm reaching our when I can, but hopefully now I can be more purposeful since I'm not so busy. So if  you are inspired to drop me a note, a phone call, a text, please feel free to do that. I would welcome it!

That's all for now! Keep my job search in your prayers and let me know how I can pray for you.

Blessings,

~Jess

An Insane Week!

Much has happened so here's a low-down of the BIG EVENTS in my life; Leaving Chicago and Graduation! 

Wednesday, May 5th

Last Day in Chicago, Last Day of Classes: Dad arrived to pack me up after a crazy day at classes. Everyone saying goodbye, turning everything in and relieved that it's all over (at least for the graduates!) 

Dad and I walked along Lake Shore just far enough to get all the way down to where we wanted to eat supper; Heaven on Seven. The atmosphere was a little squished, but that's because we were crowded with walls full of different kids of Tabasco sauce. Oh glorious! The food was excellent because it was true to the Creole food we had in New Orleans a few years ago.

That evening we packed up all my stuff with welcome interruptions from friends saying good bye. I miss you all!

Thursday, May 6th

Dad and I drove back to Minnesota with a stop at Wrigley Field on our way out of Chicago. We also made a pit stop for lunch at a German restaurant in Wisconsin. Good Choice!

Friday, May 7th

Headed down to Orange City with my parents and sister in time for the beautiful Baccalaureate service. That was worth the trip down to worship with my classmates. I'm going to miss the Chapel, the fellowship and all the hugs! Later that night, Sam and I were able to catch up with others from our class at a grad party hosted by a few mutual friends. We ran into many friends who we wouldn't have seen otherwise. One rather memorable encounter involved Jill Swanson, Sam and Susan. We created and practiced a language where every word started with "V" For example you would say "Vello, Vow Vare Vu?" We became quite good at it! But sometimes we would get confused about what a person was saying and they would have to act it out. Jill and I found out that we both had the same sinus surgery! We were relieved to know that someone else had gone through it too. Although, I must say, that my experience was more pleasant than Jill's...poor girl had a horror story of a time of recovery! Praise the Lord that didn't happen to me, but I'm glad I took the time to recover well. Anyways, the night was great for connecting with people again.

Saturday, May 8th

GRADUATION DAY! That was the morning I got all dressed up in my lovely new dress, conveniently covered with my robe (haha) and topped off with the cap precariously perched on top of my head. We walked together, listened and laughed while Vonder Bruegge described the excitement of what we were going through. He tailored it to most majors, showing how brilliant and witty he is. Ironically, he was the first prof I met four years ago. Very fitting for him to send me out into the world!

TODAY

After all the traveling, I took some time to recuperate.  Now I'm working with Brandon, helping out with Mom's preschool, and actively looking for a job!

Prayers would be most welcome! I'll keep you all posted!

Experiencing Culture: Sports, Dance and Art!

GO CUBS! 

On Sunday, April 18th we went to a Cubs game at Wrigley Field! It was a fun game because we were ahead most of the time, but then we had to let two runs by us and we LOST in the 10th inning...so sad...and it didn't help that we were in the shade and the wind, but we survived! Popcorn, hot dogs and a little bit of coffee helped too. The stadium was different from Safeco Field where I grew up watching the Mariners, but it was fun to be a part of something that tens of thousands of people we watching together. It was a blast!

On Thursday, April 22nd, for our LAST Art Event we saw Billy Elliot the Musical! The dancing, music and acting was fantastic! I love the movie, so it wasn't hard to like this production. It was very 42nd street many times with all the fun dances the kids did. However, I forgot how sad the story can be at times with the struggle between Billy, his brother and their dad. The way the miner's strike was dramatized through song and dance illustrated well how that was affecting their family. The kids in the show were so talented! The Billy we saw was fun to watch because he was so cute and danced so well. The only thing that didn't transfer from the movie to the stage show was in the movie it was a harder to believe that he could be such a good dancer, but going into the show you know already that he's a dancer. So that sense of surprise and wonderment was lost a little bit. But the kids in the show were talented beyond believe so that's where that element is slightly regained. Overall, a wonderful evening of entertainment!

Ruth came to visit from Omaha this past weekend! (April 23-25) I was so excited to show her where I live and what a weekend in Chicago can be like. Of course the rain didn't help, but that seems to be my curse: when friends come, Chicago pours it's love with essence of wetness from the skies....Boo....But we had a blast! She wants to live in Chicago now. I knew she would! When she got in Friday night we hit the town and had a drink with Matt and Meredith at Pippins! It's a fun place because it's homey and spacious. The service was quick and friendly and we were able to hear each other speak, most of the time, anyways. 

 

Saturday we used the free family pass to go the Chicago Institute of Art! It was incredible! I didn't get to see the classical  side of the Museum when we went to the Modern Wing, so this was a treat. There were so many rooms full of masterpieces that I had only dreamed of seeing for myself. The most exciting one for me was seeing George Seurat's "La Grande Jette!" And boy was it GRANDE! It took up almost an entire wall! There were so many colors in it that you never see in the print copies, such as the blue and red border or dots. It looks like he might have been testing paint colors there and decided to turn it into a border. Weird, but cool. I have been wanting to see this painting since fourth grade when we made our own mini versions of it. It captured my imagination so it was fulfilling to see it for myself.

After we had seen almost every piece in the Art Institute, Rachel joined us to see The Bean and go shopping! I found my graduation dress at Ann Taylor Loft downtown. It's just what I wanted: something summery, but not floral, a classic color and a style that fits my body well, but mostly, I needed to feel pretty, and I DO! So it's perfect! 

 

The rest of the weekend was spent recovering from our big day, watched a movie at the apartment, went to church, got soaked trying to find a place to eat for lunch, but we recovered in a tea shop just down the street from my place. We wanted to go to the beach, but the weather was not cooperating...as usual...So we got lunch, packed her up and sent her back home. Sadness! Ever since, she's been telling me she wants to come back! Not surprising at all, to me. 

More to come as I wrap up my time in Chicago!

Spring has Sprung!

Here I am at my favorite lunch spot: Outside on the River :)

Spring is coming out all over the City! The trees are sprouting and the flowers blooming. Lately I've been taking the bus home so I can walk through the neighborhoods between my place and the lake. Sometimes the wind picks up and I actually want to breathe in the air because it's full of fragrance! Ironically, the tulips followed me here from Orange City because they are everywhere; in many beds downtown and in the neighborhoods. They must be tough plants to live in the city, I think. I've been going up to Lincoln Park a lot lately with friends and along the beach. The walks are so refreshing! Now I need to update you on some of the people I've been walking with and what we've seen. 


Easter
I went home for Easter Break, Friday though Monday. At first I didn't want to go home because of everything I would miss here; Easter Supper, a party and whatever else would randomly happen, as many things do. But when I was packing Thursday night after the event I was excited to see my family since I hadn't seen them since Dad's diagnosis. It was also nice to think about not constantly going at 100 miles an hour and just take a break! And, luckily, I did get some time at home just to rest, watch movies with my parents, go out to eat for Mom's birthday and see people at church on Sunday who have all been praying for me. 
The weirdest thing about being home was the quiet. I didn't realize how quiet the suburbs were, and how noisy the birds could be! I was overwhelmed but in the opposite way that I am in the City. In the city you try to blot things out, unless there's a street performer or something, but at home I could just let my senses take everything in.
While I was home I had to take care of my car by getting the oil changed and the tires rotated. Dad and I walked back from the Goodyear, got some Caribou Coffee and meandered on home. If I didn't have to walk everywhere here that would have been almost too much for me that early, but it was just fine. It was a little annoying that the sidewalks weren't always there though. haha It seemed tougher to walk around there than in the city, odd.
On Saturday I got to work with Brandon, the boy with CP who I care for whenever I'm home from school. It's the best job I've ever had. It's not easy in the least, but it's fulfilling. Especially on days like we had that Saturday! We chilled watching TV for a bit, got him in his stander, fed him some lunch, walked around the neighborhood with his sister and puppy, then played baseball in the backyard with Molly (the dog) as the catcher (makes playing so much easier! except for the slobbery ball aspect, ew). After a break he got his hair cut and a shower. Whew! What a day! It was good to catch up with Brandon's mom, Barb, and sister Courtney. I didn't see much of Don, his dad, but it was good to see everyone together.
 At church I was bombarded with hugs and questions about the City and the dreaded question: what are you going to do when you're done? Do  you want to stay in Chicago?
Honestly, I don't know. Everything that has made this experience wonderful has been the people I've met and gotten to know and if they aren't here, why should I be? Yes, I could make more friends. I know I could, but I would really have to pray about it, and there would need to be a job!

Back in Chi-town
 
When I got back into the city I was able to talk out some of these questions with a friend from Northwestern, Jesse Nieuwenhuis! He emailed me awhile ago telling me he would be in town interviewing for medical school. We met up Monday afternoon, walked around the lake, went to supper at a cool food court-type thing at Water Tower Place and just talked. I haven't seen him since he graduated last year so it was quite a treat to hear what he's been up to and where he wants to go and how his experiences are leading him in different but exciting directions in his life of serving others. It was amusing having him follow me everywhere and him having almost no idea where we were or where we were going. He would say, "We're going East, right?" "Nope, South." haha Actually, he was a really fast learner! I was totally hopeless the first few weeks here, so I was impressed he caught on so quickly. He said he studied the maps, but you never know a city until you walk in it yourself. It was an absolute pleasure showing him the city :) So glad to have rekindled that friendship in such a cool way!


The next weekend I was able to escape the city, not by plane but by Metra! I went with Matt and Emily to a suburb by Wheaton College where their friend Nick De Jong lives. I was invited by association to come out to his place since I wasn't there when he came for Easter weekend. So taking the Metra was fun; seeing the landscape get greener and shorter as we chugged along. Emily and I admitted later that being on the train made us feel like we were in a classic movie so we half expected Carry Grant to come in to the car and have a chat with us. It was a fun ride. Meeting Nick and his family was a treat. They have a lovely home next to a forest reserve, which we walked through. We went to church that night (which was good because Rachel and I tried to go to church, but failed because we had the wrong information from CS! boo! But we made an outing of it by getting some Starbucks and exploring the Lincoln Park area and the Conservatory at the zoo. It was a beautiful morning, indeed!) and after church we got a  tour of Wheaton College where my beloved seregate grandpa, Roy Wilbee went to school! It was a gorgeous area with brick buildings topped with white steeples. It felt like we were at an East Coast school or something. Very classy! If I had visited there before NWC, I may have changed my mind! haha After our feast of homemade waffles at Nick's house we played a game called 'Sequence' which was fun, but then the time for us to leave came too soon! Back on the train we went, but this time we sat on the upper tier of seats which weren't as exciting at night, but still fun.

The Saturday before, however, I had a surprise visitor: Daniel! He was in Vegas with his family and decided to use some extra time he had off to come see me. We explored North Welles where we went to the Dutch Bike shop and he owner let us ride some of his bikes around area! It was so sweet I don't think I'll be satisfied with another kind. These were so smooth, elegant and easy to ride! Never thought I could go back to foot breaks, but I miss them now. Much easier to control yourself, I think. After reluctantly returning the bikes, we explored Lincoln Park and my favorite neighborhoods. It was a glorious day for weather and for company.

More to come!

GO BULLS!

On Saturday night the CSers went to a Chicago Bulls Game! Yes, we saw the court where Michael Jackson played (or soared, really!) and where every basketball player in the late 90s wanted to play.
Now the Bulls haven't exactly been playing very well lately, at least according to my RedEye (the Chicago social paper I read every day over my lunch break. It's waaay left of center, but it's fun so I'm addicted! Ok, moving on...) So I wasn't expecting anything outstanding, but we were expecting a decent game because the teams have similar stats. The Bulls seemed to shoot more, but the New Jersey Nets seemed to get the ball in the basket more often. It was a strange site to behold. But however they managed it, the Bulls scored over 100 points so everyone with a coupon book got a FREE BIG MAC!!! The booklets were full of coupons depending on who won in the little animated races between quarters and other entertainments. They really knew how to keep us watching! The LoveaBulls (the dancers) could have been worse, but we just wondered if they had another job besides looking pretty. Just kidding! I heard that they are expected to be in school or something like that, which would be cool. But I haven't verified that info, so don't quote me on it! Haha

Sunday night Matt, Meredith and I went down to the Rock'n'Roll McDonald's off Clark Street to enjoy our Free food! I was able to get a rare Shamrock Shake with my Big Mac. Why not, huh? That McD's is the most swankified McD's I've ever been in with two IKEA-style decorated floors with an escalator in the middle! It was slightly awkward to be eating our fast food in that nice environment, but it was fun! A novelty, even. So it was the perfect place to go for the occasion. Oh Good Times they just keep on coming :)

The Marriage of Figaro at Lyric Opera Chicago

This is the paper I wrote for my final Encounter for the Arts and the City Seminar. We were told to think of something we had not encountered before and I chose opera. I interviewed members of the Lyric Opera Chorus and did some research on my own. This is the culmination of all those experiences. It's long, but I could go on and on about this incredible experience. Just ask me, I dare you ;)

On Wednesday, March 24, I attended the 7:30pm performance of Lyric Opera’s “The Marriage of Figaro.” It was a night I will never forget. The atmosphere, the music, the talent of the singers and the beloved characters they portrayed were of excellence that I have never encountered before. I cannot wait until I encounter it again. So writing about it will be close enough for now.

The evening began with meeting Martha outside the stage door to begin a personalized tour of the Lyric Opera backstage. We were able to see the dressing rooms, the prop department and wig making department. All the designers were in the shops and willing to show us around. The wigmaster, Richard Jarvie, showed us each of the stages of wig making and told us most people are trained in one of the steps, but everyone on his staff knows how to do all the steps; fitting, placing the hair and styling the hair. It was incredible to see how they did it! The costume shop was huge! The ladies in the costume shop showed us around the halls of costumes, the lines of mannequins and the wash rooms. They wash all the clothes that touch skin after every performance. That’s a lot of work! Martha also showed us some of the rehearsal space for the dancers and singers. Someone was in the middle of an audition! As we walked around, we could hear people warming up in their rooms. No one was in the dressing room yet, so we wandered a bit and saw all the fun stuff they had on their mirrors. I liked how they had the costumes in hung on bars in the middle of the room. It was an ingenious set up.

Next, Martha also showed us back stage. We walked where everyone in the cast was going to be walking, waiting and performing a few hours later. What an exhilarating feeling! It really made me miss performing. We had to crane our necks as we tried to see through the seven floors of ropes, curtains and backdrops! The set blew my mind at how simple yet effective it was. Usually in our high school productions it was a miracle if we could make a set floor straight, but this stage set was made to tilt up on purpose so that every character could be seen as they walked around. Brilliant! To change the rooms they left the main floor and moved in up to four pieces to make the rest of the room with windows, furniture and other important features like the closet and gazebos. It was mind boggling to see those up close and then see them from the audience a few hours later.

As we left the backstage area we saw Joyce DiDanto, who played the boy Cherubino, coming in to prepare for the show. She is considered one of the best American opera singers today. I was surprised to see her with a boot on her foot! She had previously been in a cast but now she’s on the mend. I have a feeling she jumped out the window (which is what her character does trying to escape the Count’s wrath!) and injured herself. But being that close to her was like being next to a movie star for me. And I hadn’t even seen her on stage yet and I was already stoked!

Before the opera began there was a short lecture held on the main floor. We just had to show our tickets and we could sit on the main floor as the director told us an overview of the story with some sound clips of the music we were going to hear later. This was really helpful! I would recommend that anyone going to an opera for the first time, or any time, should go to a lecture like that so that they know what they are going to see and hear.

Our seats we in the uppermost balcony, but this was the perfect spot to be. We could see everything from a bird’s eye view. The way they had the stage set up, we were always looking in from a corner of the room. We could also read the ‘supertitles’ above the stage and watch the action without having to move my head much at all. The only thing that was lost was some of the facial expressions.

The opera itself was a magnificent display of music, singing and acting. The story was a very close second to the music. The storyline is this: It is Figaro and Susanna’s wedding day. They both serve the Count and Countess as their personal servants. However, the Count is trying to prevent the wedding because he wants Susanna for himself. Of course, the Countess knows all about his floundering nature but loves him and wants to please him herself. So Figaro, Susanna and the Countess come up with a plot to trick the Count, but it falls apart because Cherubino is in the wrong place at the wrong time. Figaro denies knowing anything and that leaves the women to plot on their own. Their plan actually works as they switch places to catch the Count in his own trap. Of course it ends happily like a Shakespearean comedy. There are many pranks, misunderstandings and comments on the relationships between men and women which are still true today and very amusing.

The heightened drama as expressed through the music and the performers was almost overwhelming, but in the best way possible. Every performer was able to make their characters very three-dimensional, very human; imperfect and fun to watch. One big surprise for me was the recasting of the Countess. The original Countess fell ill and went home to Germany so Nicole Cabell took over the part. I had seen her in a televised version of La Boheme as Musetta so I was flabbergasted that I would get to see her in person! Joyce DiDanto was the perfect teenage, lovesick boy. She had the swagger down and everything! She and Nicole Cabell sang with such conviction, control and beauty that they both brought me to tears. I could hardly believe that their voices could fill up the entire gilded theatre! I kept thinking, “Am I really here? Am I really experiencing this?” My favorite character turned out to be the Count because he is someone you enjoy seeing him get fooled. He was slightly over the top, but that made his character redeemable. I surprised that the solos were pretty even among the men and women. I also appreciated that the solos were not about the soloist, but about what the character is feeling at that time. Some of my favorite songs included Cherubino’s love song, Figaro’s solo as he “rails against womankind” (direct quote from the program!), and the sextets where up to six people are singing at the same time; perfection! I remember in the Mozart movie Amadeus, when he explains to the original soloists how the song will play out and they can’t believe it will work. It does work! It’s incredible to hear. Joyce DiDanto admitted in an interview that she always has to stand in the wings and hear that part because she always notices something different. Coming from her, that’s an incredible compliment to the music.

Although the opera ended up running almost four hours, it certainly didn’t feel that long. It was a fulfilling evening! That’s what I call entertainment! Seeing opera for myself has answered the question I asked at the beginning of this project; “Why is opera still an essential part of our culture?” It is the epitome of why we go to the theater, why we listen to music and why we love movies. Opera brings all those elements together for an evening of ultimate escape and pleasure. Experiencing this cultural treasure has certainly raised the bar for everything else I will experience. I highly anticipate attending other operas in the future.