I'm marking the fourth anniversary of The Standing Room with (what else) standing room tickets to Billy Budd and Kaija Saariaho's Adriana Mater at Santa Fe Opera*. Thanks, as always, for reading and following along. And extra thanks to the guy who handed me a second-row orchestra seat for Adriana Mater ten minutes to curtain (just moments after I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. & Mr. OutWestArts).
~~~~~~
* Not verbatim, but close enough:
SFO: Hello, Santa Fe Opera box office.
M. C—: Hi, I'd like to buy two standing room tickets.
SFO: Sure, I can help you with that. For which operas, sir?
M. C—: Billy Budd and Adriana Mater.
Pause.
SFO: Are you an opera fan?
M. C—: Uhhhh...... I dunno, I guess some people might say so... Why?
SFO: Because those two operas aren't most people's top choices. The guy who called before you is going to Marriage of Figaro three times.
Photo from Santa Fe Opera parking lot
And...and...what did you think of Adriana?
Posted by: Lisa Hirsch | Aug 10, 2008 at 10:43 AM
What a helpful box office. You can can not only buy standing room tickets ahead of time over the phone, but they actually check to see if you haven't been made the butt of a joke by a more sophisticated operagoing friend. (Hey, I can see it happening.)
And a very happy birthday to the standard bearer for pissed-off parkers cum music afficionados in San Francisco.
Posted by: sfmike | Aug 10, 2008 at 04:16 PM
Wonderful! I hope you have a fine time.
Posted by: The Opera Tattler | Aug 11, 2008 at 03:25 PM
No Radamisto?!?
. . . and many happy returns. . . .
Posted by: Patrick | Aug 11, 2008 at 10:14 PM
Note from someone on the ticket selling side: The correct answer to your request is very simple, "Yes, sir! What form of payment would you like to use?" Sheesh. Hope you escaped without feeling stigmatized.
Posted by: Jack Wright | Aug 18, 2008 at 03:01 PM
there is *nothing* wrong with seeing marriage of figaro three times!!
Posted by: jennifer | Aug 18, 2008 at 04:48 PM
Some years ago, I saw Britten's "Death in Venice" at SF Opera. I had bought a standing ticket. But by first intermission I had a plum seat in the orchestra, courtesy of a matronly lady who stomped out and gave me her ticket, declaring it was the worst thing she'd ever seen. :) I love Britten operas.
Posted by: Jack Curtis Dubowsky | Aug 26, 2008 at 11:50 PM
Some years ago, I saw Britten's "Death in Venice" at SF Opera. I had bought a standing ticket. But by first intermission I had a plum seat in the orchestra, courtesy of a matronly lady who stomped out and gave me her ticket, declaring it was the worst thing she'd ever seen. :) I love Britten operas.
Posted by: Jack Curtis Dubowsky | Aug 26, 2008 at 11:52 PM