A Night At The Met

"Monday will mark the first time the Met's glittering opening-night gala will be beamed to distant fans by high-definition broadcast, and enthusiasts from New Jersey to New Mexico are digging out dinner jackets and evening gowns for the occasion," said the Associated Press. This was the 125th anniversary of the Met.

And so I took my seat next to my decked-out, gorgeous bride, and beheld on a beautiful, cool night.

The programs---"La Sopresatta", "Man-o-man" and "Cappucino"---excuse me, “La Traviata,” “Manon” and “Capriccio"---were easy to digest, and the singers---

Renee Fleming

Ramon Vargas

Thomas Hampson


---all entertained, no cracking, no messing up words. (What the hell do I know?)

The New York Times subsequently said of Ramon Vargas, the chubby, short favorite of mine, "The tenor Ramón Vargas was an impassioned Alfredo," and, regarding "Manon", "Mr. Vargas, as des Grieux, was again in ardent form." Dude, the cat sang his cojones off for 2 hours---ya think ya can spare him a few more words than a measly 18?

I'm all about Vargas, now---little dude singing at the one of the top gigs in the world.

I hadn't known if I could last the entire evening, but as one does not stack pizza slices on top of each other and eat them all at the same time, so I ingested small portions of Opera, each satisfying and understood, before moving onto the next.

And there I was, in the heart of Manhattan, under the stars, a feeling of melancholy as the weather chilled and the eventful summer of Goodyear Blimps, Lamborghinis, upstate hotels, Model T Fords and Al Hoffman recordings came to an official close.