Damian and I went to see Verdi’s "La Traviata" at the Metropolitan Opera last night, a vibrant Michael Mayer production featuring soaring arias and spectacular sets. Ermonela Jaho was sublime as Violetta Valery, with Kang Wang holding his own as Alfredo.
I believe this was our seventh opera -- all at the famed opera house -- yet it was only during the intermission that we concluded that most plots are essentially an episode of "Three's Company," so the important thing is to just ignore the story "logic" and let the spectacle of the sets and costumes and the sound of the music and voices wash over you ... and then we nearly drowned!
"Bit" player with plenty of bits
Afterward we walked down to The Flame on 58th Street. While this may seem like a mundane detail, it’s noteworthy because it’s one of the few 24-hour eateries left in New York, a city that decided after the pandemic that not only does it sleep, it goes to bed ridiculously early -- both diners right near our apartment now close at 9 p.m.(!).
