If you know me, you know I hate musicals more than I hate anytihng else in the world, will I be able to sit through a 4 hour opera?

fuck no

I'm also going to the opera on Monday night. This is the second year in a trilogy for the Cleveland Orchestra presenting Mozart opera's in conjunction with the Zurich Opera Company. It's been since the 70's when the orchestra had performed in the pit at their glorious home, Severance Hall. Last year I was stunned by how good it was. I've seen operas performed strictly by opera companies and I enjoy them well enough, but by enhancing it with a world class orchestra takes it to another level. This year it's Cosi Fan Tutte.

The good news is that in the last 20 years they've taken to projecting English subtitles so you can follow along. I think you'll enjoy it. One, listen to it for its musicality. Two, be in awe of their vocals. Three, at least with Mozart comedies, there's plenty of bawdy humor. One scene in this versions of Cosi has a woman swallowing a banana whole.
Yeah, with intermission, Cosi is 4 hours as well.

^ Good advice. As a rule I hate musicals too, but would think that by singing in a foreign language the production would be elevated light years beyond, say, Oklahoma. And there're no corny dance numbers, are there?

I've only been to the opera once and was surprised how much I liked it....go into it with an open mind to the gifts of the performers, rather than any trained ways of thinking of things like plot and structure. Going to take my wife again soon.

What'd you think norton?

Yep. Yep. And yep. I enjoyed it. Four hours is a long time, but it didn't drag as much as I thought it might. There was more humor in it than I expected, which helped. And yeah, the power and purity of their voices is simply astonishing. I had never been to The Lyric, so that was fun too. Beautiful place.

Not sure how quickly I'll go back, but overall a very good time. It looks like Carmen is coming in next season. I think the wife wants to go to that.

Were you at the Lyric production of the Damnation of Faust? If so, I was there too, and quite enjoyed it, actually. It was also my first real opera. It helps that my gf has an in so we got in free, with awesome seats to boot. And the visuals were pretty astounding....there are rock shows that could learn a thing or two by the lighting and staging on display. Very modern, very surprising, and absolutely incredible lights. And Mephisto was so over the top, he was quite funny. Plus....a couple of scantily-clad ladies in fishnets were part of the cast. So yeah, good time.