Logan and I decided, while chatting on facebook last night, that we (including Scott) should wake early, get out by 9, get tickets to see the play “All My Sons” and watch the London Tower Bridge raise for a boat to go through. It lifts about 1000 times a year and they always schedule these lifts. Well, we didn’t get out by 9...it was more like 10 so, we missed the bridge lift. Jessica decided to join us and she and Logan ran off to the British Library while Scott and I ran to the London Tower Bridge to use our little passes we got from climbing the monument. I laugh, still, at this monument. It was like...how can we get tourists to pay us more money? OH...I know, build this “monument” and make them pay to climb 311 stairs. Anyway, we got to the bridge and had about an hour before “All My Sons”. They had this really cool little movie explaining how and why the bridge was designed and built. It was honestly much more exciting than I anticipated. I was really hoping that these footpaths would be open to the air. How exhilarating would that have been 46 meters above the Thames? Well, it wasn’t open to the air. There was, however, plenty of information to read about the bridge and it’s relationship to London. They also had some Victorian games set up which were not unlike other games I have played. My favorite was this sort of horse shoes game where you have rope circles and pegs to throw them over. There were five pegs set up in the shape of a box and I got the peg with 25 points (the most you can get) two tosses in a row. :) Beginners luck probably. I just remember the few times I played horse shoes as a girlscout in the park in Disco by my grandparents house. I was never very good at that. They also had a long display of some of the world’s greatest bridges. I would like to see the world’s oldest wooden bridge in Sweden some day. I was happy to discover that the Golden Gate is indeed displayed there. Did you know that the Golden Gate is the most popular bridge to jump off of to commit suicide. Sad! Maybe the Brits have it right in enclosing the foot path.
I think the most interesting part of the bridge was to learn about Victorian engineering. It was rather clever. We could see this displayed in particular in the engine room. I won’t bore you with that stuff. If you’re really curious after seeing the pictures...look it up online to read about it :)
Finally we made our way to the theatre for “All My Sons”. Scott and I made it back just in time. Probably 42.3 seconds before the lights dimmed for the show to begin. I splurged and bought a 2nd row seat for 31 pounds. yikes. I justified this decision because this play is the only thing in London that has 5 star reviews right now. After seeing the show, I can confirm that this rating is well deserved. We sat down to an open curtain and one of the most incredible sets I’ve ever seen. There was this sort of New Orleans style farm house and a front yard, lawn furniture and all. They had actual grass on the stage people!!! It was an incredible story written by Arthur Miller about an American family during WWII. The father sold bad parts to the airforce and all the planes went down killing 21 pilots. This is a story of lies and deception and the dynamics of a family that shape how we view the world. There were some incredible scenes between the father, Joe, his wife and his son Chris. I felt as if I was looking in on private conversations that were actually happening. There commitment was so intense that it sucked me right in. I was so captivated I had little thought to critique or analyze. I simply listened and experienced this moving story. There were only a few stage choices that threw me out of the story for a brief moment. There was a conversation going on between the mother and her dead son’s sweetheart. Chris and Joe sat by listening to the girl talk intently while I felt it would have been more effective for them to converse separately and chime in after their ears purked up for some reason or another. Does that make sense? Another scene came in the second act. The mother made grape juice for a family gathering and the neighbors kept coming in and out. Members of the family would pour a glass for these visitors and they would never take the glass or if they did, the wouldn’t drink from it. I was like...what’s the point of the grape juice if you don’t really use the prop...it’s distracting more than a tool. These critiques are little to be concearned about however. The show was incredible. I haven’t given a standing ovation for any show since I got here but this was truly incredible. I stood and held back my tears. I was absolutely astounded.
Our next adventure was to look for a place to dine. Jessica and Logan wanted Thai food. Scott and I suggested sushi and everyone seemed game for that. We were looking for a sushi place when Logan came up with the brilliant idea to ask the people in this Chinese resturant. I thought, yea thats a good idea. Let’s ask other resturants where we can find their competitors. haha good idea. We stumbled upon a Thai resturant that looked pretty posh and decided we could splurge on some quality food. It was a treat indeed. I ordered a red curry chicken dish and brown rice. We had lively conversation, which we always do with Jessica and Logan. We talked about social standards and our present social dynamic in the program. Jessica and I really get along. We are independent women with strong minds thus, we don’t get all touchy about things. It’s refreshing to be able to be honest with her and have it so well received. Scott decided that we all needed to try this sweet mango rice dish. It was absolutely heaven sent!!! It reminded me of this wet/ spongy yellow cake my Aunt LuAnn makes. Rice with mango slices smothered in coconut milk was DIVINE.
We then headed out to become cultured even further by seeing the opera “Tosca” presented by the England National Opera. I was less than pleased when we got to our seats. Since Scott and I are in charge of bathroom clean up, getting tickets after class and before concerts is a low priortiy. Thus, we wind up getting whatever ones are left. I used to think that they built theatres so well that there weren’t “bad” seats. That was before I sat in the far right of the upper balcony in the London Colluseum. The front of the balcony blocked my view of half the stage. The other half of the stage was blocked by the large head of the man in front of me. BoOoo0o0oo. I managed to just enjoy the first act anyway. I laughed at the jokes and enjoyed the music. This piece feels very grandiose yet, I feel like all opera is that way. Big and dramatic....that’s kind of the point. I asked the attendants how long before the show began they would continue to seat the audience. This attendant knowingly said, “right up until the show starts, the house is full”. I thought...a) how do you know it’s actually full? did you have a little meeting with all your little usher friends and found out that the house was packed and to not let people switch seats. probably. I’m thinking, sometimes people don’t even show up to the opera they got tickets for! I asked if I could stand on the sides of the balcony where at least I could get a full view...again, the answer was no probably because of all the lighting equipment nearby. I so coveted the members of our group who had seats in the front row of the balcony. During the first interval, I asked some of my front row friends if there were any open seats during the first act and as it turned out...there were! Scott and I nabbed those right up. There was zilch leg room but the view was sooooo much better. This is what happens when Michelle gets aggressive. :)
I was quite impressed with the ease with which the baritone sang. Opera singing and acting requires serious stamina. These guys go on without mics and sing for every last seat in that colluseum. It’s incredible. Sitting in the balcony allowed me to just listen and try to picture the story using the expressiveness of the singers as my guide. I was impressed that both Tosca and her lover, Mario, could project and portray such powerful and deep emotions using only their voices. I’ve heard recordings of operas but never attended one live (Phantom of the Opera certainly does not count!) so this was quite the experience for me.
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