And All This Before Lunch

We went to the opera this morning. Yes, this morning thanks to the Metropolitan Opera's live simulcast which is shown in movie theaters all over the country.  We are on the Pacific Coast, so the matinee which opens at 1 PM in New York starts at 10 AM at our theater in Olympia.  Today was Verdi's La Traviata, the story of a courtesan who finds true love.  You can read the story summary here.  La Traviata is a tear jerker.  I wept openly through the last act. The theater was full as I expect it was in hundreds of other communities.  The Metropolitan Opera has an 80 year history of live radio broadcasts.  This is the sixth season of The Met: Live in HD.  Today's performance was stunning.  Perhaps some day I will go to the Met in New York.  For now, I'm happy to drive across town in my jeans and enter the mall long before shopping gets underway.  Give opera a try.  Check the schedule  for the 2012 - 2013 season.  English subtitles.  Popcorn during the intermission.