In our family one of the most important events in going to the ballet (or the musicals, or the plays) is that moment when we make money by answering questions about what we have just seen. I am often the one who asks the questions, but it is OK with me if the questions go two ways: ask me a question that you know the answer to, and you can also make money. This seems to be the highlight of the ballet.
In the case of today’s show (The Taming of the Shrew), Rhiannon asked me the name of the Housekeeper, a part that was written into the ballet by the choreographer, for his wife, Anna Tikhomirova. Hard to beat the fun of that. I told Mary that the one thing we should memorize is the name of the choreographer. This seemed to be easier for Mary and Rhiannon to do, since his name was French. I was stumbling over the name for a long time: Jean Christophe Maillot. We talked about the costuming of of Katerina and of Bianca, as well as the role of the fool (Petruchio’s servant) in the show.
I wondered if Maillot’s new ballet will stand the test of time – I thought it was beautiful and I had something to look for which was new for me. In the pre-ballet interviews one of the ballerinas told us to look for angles as they dance. So I kept my eye open for interesting angle during the show.
There was the usual interview during the intermission, with the host Katya Novikova, speaking in Russian, French and English to us. The highlight of that part of the show was when Novikova said that the event we were watching was “delicious”. That got a laugh from the members of our audience.
Rhiannon was the person who made our group into a three generation event. I would have to say that the thrill of the day is to go to an event like this with a grandchild and with her mother.
We have to drive over the Ottawa River to get to the only movie house that is carrying the broadcast of the Bolshoi from the Moscow Stage. That is a long way. On the way we told riddles. My first one was what belongs to you but everyone else uses. The answer is, your name. Then I did the riddle, “As I was going to St. Ives ….” I’ve never found this riddle to be entertaining to anyone once they find out that they didn’t have to do all of that math to get the right answer. No success with Rhiannon either. She was unimpressed. I keep trying until I find a grandchild who likes it.
In the intermission of the ballet, the camera showed use the corridors filled with ballet patrons. We looked at the opulent balconies as the camera panned them for us. At our Cineplex, Rhiannon ate poutine at the intermission: Ice Cream Dream, a dixie cup sucked out of an open freezer with a vacuum-like hose – cookie dough ice cream, since the tropical fruit punch last time was disgusting.
Arta
In the case of today’s show (The Taming of the Shrew), Rhiannon asked me the name of the Housekeeper, a part that was written into the ballet by the choreographer, for his wife, Anna Tikhomirova. Hard to beat the fun of that. I told Mary that the one thing we should memorize is the name of the choreographer. This seemed to be easier for Mary and Rhiannon to do, since his name was French. I was stumbling over the name for a long time: Jean Christophe Maillot. We talked about the costuming of of Katerina and of Bianca, as well as the role of the fool (Petruchio’s servant) in the show.
I wondered if Maillot’s new ballet will stand the test of time – I thought it was beautiful and I had something to look for which was new for me. In the pre-ballet interviews one of the ballerinas told us to look for angles as they dance. So I kept my eye open for interesting angle during the show.
There was the usual interview during the intermission, with the host Katya Novikova, speaking in Russian, French and English to us. The highlight of that part of the show was when Novikova said that the event we were watching was “delicious”. That got a laugh from the members of our audience.
Rhiannon was the person who made our group into a three generation event. I would have to say that the thrill of the day is to go to an event like this with a grandchild and with her mother.
We have to drive over the Ottawa River to get to the only movie house that is carrying the broadcast of the Bolshoi from the Moscow Stage. That is a long way. On the way we told riddles. My first one was what belongs to you but everyone else uses. The answer is, your name. Then I did the riddle, “As I was going to St. Ives ….” I’ve never found this riddle to be entertaining to anyone once they find out that they didn’t have to do all of that math to get the right answer. No success with Rhiannon either. She was unimpressed. I keep trying until I find a grandchild who likes it.
In the intermission of the ballet, the camera showed use the corridors filled with ballet patrons. We looked at the opulent balconies as the camera panned them for us. At our Cineplex, Rhiannon ate poutine at the intermission: Ice Cream Dream, a dixie cup sucked out of an open freezer with a vacuum-like hose – cookie dough ice cream, since the tropical fruit punch last time was disgusting.
Arta
I watched the trailer for this ballet so many times. Was the whole thing as beautiful as the parts in the trailer?
ReplyDeleteI am like you. I watched that trailer so many times that when I saw the ballet I was wondering if I had seen the whole ballet before because those parts were so familiar to me. And I had read the reviews many times as well. Both the good one and the pouty one.
ReplyDeleteI take it as a great privilege to be able to see ballets, the theatre and opera without having to leave my own city. I can see what is produced in Calgary. And then I can see what is in Moscow, London and New York via satellite.
Sometimes just that knowledge overwhelms me.
On the way home I was talking to Rhiannon as we were coaching each other about answers to questions about the opera.
I found myself telling her that most tragedies and comedies have a fool in them somewhere, someone who is entrusted to tell the truth through a riddle or a metaphor.
At that moment I knew once again, how important it is to gift children with the knowledge of their culture, if it is at all possible. I wonder if she will remember that line in 10 or 15 years when she has to answer a question or write an essay.
On that point of telling little people what I know, I am pretty sure every grandmother in that audience wished she had a little girl beside her who was leaning on her mother and eating poutine. OK. For me you can drop the poutine part, but the curds, gravy and french fries were was there on her lap.
And about 3/4 through she told her mother she was getting a bit bored.
How fantastic is that! I was laughing so hard inside. She is nine and she lasted the whole ballet, and 3/4 of it was intensely interesting.
Since she plays the violin, one of the questions to answer for money was, touch me when you hear the violins playing for $1. Her gasp and then the thrilled look on her face when she touched me -- yup! Worth the price of the ticket.