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Skunks, Opera, and Segways
11 years ago
General
One more day in my life.
So the past few weeks have been hectic, and this week in particular has been intense! First off, I walk to work on a daily basis, good exercise and it's close. Also saves a ton on gas. Only down side is some days I have to be at work at 6am. So walking when it's dark out. That in and of itself doesn't bother me. Some good decent light all around. Well one morning recently I am walking to work and it's dark and all. I pass this one area and stop as I suddenly notice a shadow move not more than a few feet from me. At first I am thinking it's a dog, not more than 6 feet from the sidewalk. I didn't even see it until I was practically beside it and right as walk up beside it, the shadow moves and two vertical white stripes come into view.
I quickly turn my head so I'm not looking at what is now apparently a SKUNK, just in case it sprays me, and just keep walking. I grew up in the country, I know what this means. I can't run or it'd spray out of reflex. I don't dare stop for the same reason. So all I can do is just keep walking at my same pace and pray for the best.
All I could think of was how I was going to explain that one to work. Because I WOULD be calling in. There would be no way they'd even let me work after that. But fortunately, the skunk moved on right after I kept walking and nothing happened, save my heart developed an intimate relationship with my adam's apple.
So as I said, BUSY week. Crazy week. Too much going on. One thing right after another until I have reached now... which is totally exhausted. Work, Social things, more work, dinner with family, more work, my brother gets engaged and invites me to dinner so I'll be the first to know, even more work, my brother (same one) has trouble with picking up his kids from his ex, MORE work, And in the middle of ALL of that, the Opera.
Now, I'm not an opera snob, or even an opera buff, but I love music, and I love art in all its forms. Opera and Ballet are just another form of artistic expression and I love seeing how things are done. Well this opera was a BIG one. And I do mean BIG. It's Wagner's (pronounced Vagner, for those who do not know.) 'The Ring' Series. To put it in perspective for those who do not know, this is one of the more commonly quoted operas when it comes to music. Has the famous 'Ride of the Valkyries' piece in it. It's so big it is to my knowledge the only opera that has Four parts. Not four acts... Four parts. Over 8 hours of opera! Well Houston has never performed the Ring series. This is so big they are doing it in segments, one part a year. Well just this week, we went and saw the first Part, Das Rhinegold. The music is amazing, beautiful and powerful.
But with any Opera, there are two parts. The music which is often straightforward and left as the original writer intended. Then the Production which is open to interpretation and often is. This is a Nordic based opera. Featuring Norse gods like Thor, Odin, Loki, etc... I was half expecting armor and chainmail. What I got was almost surreal.
Ever see Family Guy, when Peter takes over his Wife's production of a play she wanted to do? He starts writing in robots and mechs and lasers and special effects? This was sort of like that. The back ground was this massive video screen which played a variety of images, sometimes pretty, sometimes surreal, and sometimes creepy. The giant golden baby fetus was in particular... disturbing. I have my theories on the meaning but was so jarred by it I felt like I was too busy focusing on it to notice what was going one. Then the giants showed up. Like a scene from an anime, they walk in as giant Mechs! I know they are giants so I guess this works, but there are these two guys walking in with these massive pseudo animatronic devices they are literally strapped into. Okay... all that I got. Baby was innocence being corrupted, the giants were well... giants, the gods were on these catapult looking things so they could be lifted and lowered to symbolize their godliness...
But I lost it when Loki showed up. Up until this point I could buy into it. But Loki pops up and... well he doesn't walk onto stage, he DRIVES onto stage on a freaking SEGWAY! Imagine this visual folks!!!
LOKI on a SEGWAY!
And not just on a segway, but he came equipped with TURN SIGNALS! On his arms were these rows of lights that were also on his back, so that whenever he faces the crowd on his little two wheeler I kept expecting one of them to start blinking before he merged with TRAFFIC! And when he was facing away it was worse, because the lights on his back, about where his shoulders were, were the same. I saw him turn and zip away from the audience and when he slowed down, I half expected them to get brighter as he hit the brakes!
I couldn't focus anymore. All I could do was watch as Loki zipped around here and there, singing and performing as he should on a modern two wheeled contraption. Up until this point the tech had a purpose. The segway's point was lost on me. I was so distracted by it, I had to close my eyes to focus on the music again.
Don't get me wrong, it was an amazing production and the music was astounding and captivating. It's just that the visuals were very discordant to me and kept distracting me from the story and music.
That and being able to say the phrase I saw LOKI on a Segway!!! Just all I can focus on for now. Loki with turn signals on a segway...
Someone please draw that!
I quickly turn my head so I'm not looking at what is now apparently a SKUNK, just in case it sprays me, and just keep walking. I grew up in the country, I know what this means. I can't run or it'd spray out of reflex. I don't dare stop for the same reason. So all I can do is just keep walking at my same pace and pray for the best.
All I could think of was how I was going to explain that one to work. Because I WOULD be calling in. There would be no way they'd even let me work after that. But fortunately, the skunk moved on right after I kept walking and nothing happened, save my heart developed an intimate relationship with my adam's apple.
So as I said, BUSY week. Crazy week. Too much going on. One thing right after another until I have reached now... which is totally exhausted. Work, Social things, more work, dinner with family, more work, my brother gets engaged and invites me to dinner so I'll be the first to know, even more work, my brother (same one) has trouble with picking up his kids from his ex, MORE work, And in the middle of ALL of that, the Opera.
Now, I'm not an opera snob, or even an opera buff, but I love music, and I love art in all its forms. Opera and Ballet are just another form of artistic expression and I love seeing how things are done. Well this opera was a BIG one. And I do mean BIG. It's Wagner's (pronounced Vagner, for those who do not know.) 'The Ring' Series. To put it in perspective for those who do not know, this is one of the more commonly quoted operas when it comes to music. Has the famous 'Ride of the Valkyries' piece in it. It's so big it is to my knowledge the only opera that has Four parts. Not four acts... Four parts. Over 8 hours of opera! Well Houston has never performed the Ring series. This is so big they are doing it in segments, one part a year. Well just this week, we went and saw the first Part, Das Rhinegold. The music is amazing, beautiful and powerful.
But with any Opera, there are two parts. The music which is often straightforward and left as the original writer intended. Then the Production which is open to interpretation and often is. This is a Nordic based opera. Featuring Norse gods like Thor, Odin, Loki, etc... I was half expecting armor and chainmail. What I got was almost surreal.
Ever see Family Guy, when Peter takes over his Wife's production of a play she wanted to do? He starts writing in robots and mechs and lasers and special effects? This was sort of like that. The back ground was this massive video screen which played a variety of images, sometimes pretty, sometimes surreal, and sometimes creepy. The giant golden baby fetus was in particular... disturbing. I have my theories on the meaning but was so jarred by it I felt like I was too busy focusing on it to notice what was going one. Then the giants showed up. Like a scene from an anime, they walk in as giant Mechs! I know they are giants so I guess this works, but there are these two guys walking in with these massive pseudo animatronic devices they are literally strapped into. Okay... all that I got. Baby was innocence being corrupted, the giants were well... giants, the gods were on these catapult looking things so they could be lifted and lowered to symbolize their godliness...
But I lost it when Loki showed up. Up until this point I could buy into it. But Loki pops up and... well he doesn't walk onto stage, he DRIVES onto stage on a freaking SEGWAY! Imagine this visual folks!!!
LOKI on a SEGWAY!
And not just on a segway, but he came equipped with TURN SIGNALS! On his arms were these rows of lights that were also on his back, so that whenever he faces the crowd on his little two wheeler I kept expecting one of them to start blinking before he merged with TRAFFIC! And when he was facing away it was worse, because the lights on his back, about where his shoulders were, were the same. I saw him turn and zip away from the audience and when he slowed down, I half expected them to get brighter as he hit the brakes!
I couldn't focus anymore. All I could do was watch as Loki zipped around here and there, singing and performing as he should on a modern two wheeled contraption. Up until this point the tech had a purpose. The segway's point was lost on me. I was so distracted by it, I had to close my eyes to focus on the music again.
Don't get me wrong, it was an amazing production and the music was astounding and captivating. It's just that the visuals were very discordant to me and kept distracting me from the story and music.
That and being able to say the phrase I saw LOKI on a Segway!!! Just all I can focus on for now. Loki with turn signals on a segway...
Someone please draw that!
Sorry, just... wow, that must've been the trippiest opera ever.
Oh god, please don't tell me I slept through the opera and that was just me!
*Check my Opera Cues program book for the photos...*
Nope... got photos right here... that's what they did.
Of course, it makes me think of the scene in Avengers where Hulk gives Loki a lesson in just why you don't want to piss him off... and then comments, "Puny god."
But... a Segway. Seriously? I've never been to an opera, but I don't think I'd have included a Segway for any reason at all unless I wanted it to be comedic.
It was the tail lights that kept pushing it over the top.