A Night At The Opera

When my son was in third grade, his choral music teacher suggested that he audition for the opera! THE OPERA! THE METROPOLITAN OPERA IN NY?

There was another boy as well. My husband and I took our on the assigned day. It was hectic, the place was filled with hopefuls from far and wide as well as those who lived locally. Only one parent was allowed to go into the audition with a child. Since my husband is a musician, it seemed natural that he accompany our son. I sat in the waiting area, preparing my little speech saying how proud I was of him, and that only a few could possibly be chosen. I listened to the children and parents still in the waiting area to be called with most of the other parents parroting what I was thinking. I took quite a while. I watched dejected kids leave and a few elated one that they would be in the Children’s Choir when the season started.

Finally, my son came out and came right over to me and said, “Dad will be right out.” I assumed he went to the bathroom. I delicately inquired what happen and my son looked at me, not at all impressed and said, “I don’t know, they said something about I start after Labor Day.”

I said a little too loudly, “What! What do you mean you start?” He had no answer, He was finished talking about it.

A few minutes later my husband came out with a packet of paper and a smile on his face.

“Didn’t he tell you he made it?” he inquired. “I guess so,” I answered. I realized it was my son’s calm, cool and collected self that didn’t think he accomplished a really big thing!

What now? It was going to fall upon me to drive him into Manhattan whenever there was a rehearsal or performance. I immediately broke out into a sweat! “No! I can’t do that, I can’t drive into the city. I don’t know where to park , I don’t have the time!”

Even though the words were coming from my mouth, I knew I would end up driving most of the time. We got a little help, the other boy from his school as well as two other local kids had also qualified. We set up a carpool. Once again this driving, transportation problem became an issue. Not all the kids appear in every opera! Sometimes the full Children’s Choir was needed but most of the time it was only a few children.

He was cast in Tosca! His total performance time for that opera was perhaps 5 minutes on stage. He would arrive, go in through the stage door, go get into his costume, wait for the signals to be on stage, sing his part, exit and go back and get dressed. You could never tell if you would be able to park somewhere or if you had to circle continually. There was no private parking.

I took him to the performance. I drove to the stage entrance which is inside a parking area, but not open to the public. There was no reserved spots for us mere mortals. My son exited the car and I watched him get inside. As I was about to move the car, something happened and my nose started to bleed. Not just a trickle, but a torrent! I had no tissues, and I was desparately looking for something to press against my nose. I was panicked. I don’t know how long I sat there, but a limo pulled up behind me and was waiting for me to leave the spot.

The chauffeur was ordered by the people inside to come and tell me to move my car. When he approached the car door and saw my face covered in blood, and my hands trying to stem the flow, he ran back to the limo. Within a second, he was running back with two people, a man and a woman.

The chauffeur told me to leave the car and go inside with this couple. I had not gotten a good look at them. The woman came to the car door and helped me out. She had a wad of tissues in her hand, which I readily took. I said I couldn’t leave me car and the man said, “Don’t worry, my driver will stay with it.”

Inside, the man started barking orders and the woman was trying to clean me off. When things finally got under control, I looked at my benefactors and realized I was being helped by the great Placido Domingo, and his wife!

When they saw that I was ok, they asked me what I was doing there, just as my son walked into the little stage area entrance. Placido Domingo smiled and he and his wife left me sitting there. My son and I returned to the car and thanked the limo driver. Wow! Here was an extremely famous, world known Tenor, and he took the time to help someone he didn’t know. I was always a fan of his, eventhough I am not an Opera buff. I was so thankful for their kindness.

Another time, it was a full children’s chorus on stage and I once again had to drive. This time I had three kids with me. When we got to the Met, because of the full chorus, we had a section to park in. That only happened twice that I know about. The mothers and a father or two were sitting in the area near the stage door. All of a sudden, the door from the parking lot flew opened and a man in a cape!(of all things) swept in. He looked at the receptionist and asked who all these people were. When she told him, he smiled at us, walked right over to me and grabbed my face in his large hand and said, “Ah the Mama of the Bambini!”

It was none other than Luciano Pavaroti! He let go of my face and with a sweep of the cape went into the inner building! Wow! Once again touched by greatness. My son sang with the Opera for a few years.

When a child either outgrows his/her costume, or his/her voice changes in puberty, that child can no longer be in the choir. It was a great run for my son, but I was so happy when it was finished!