Figaro-ed {life}
Tuesday, April 30, 2013 at 12:00PM 
So. I'll admit. I've never been to the opera. Neel's mom was on a culture mission when he was growing up (she was a better woman than I), and he got to lots of things that came through Wilmington, DE and he went to see Don Giovanni with some music nerdy friends, but the closest I've ever come to the opera is when Nicholas Cage takes Cher to the Met to see La Bohème in Moonstruck.
What took me so long?
Because we missed the Norfolk showing of The Marriage of Figaro, we made a day of it. Brunch at Can Can, which we never get to, and afterwards the matinee. Pretty much perfect, if you ask me. It turned out better than I expected even. We started with cocktails at the bar while we waited for our table. I had a bloody (duh) with bacon vodka, bitters and fresh muddled tomato and bacon garnish. Neel had a breakfast martini. I wish I had grabbed a closer look at the ingredients for that one because it was a surprising delight. Something, something, something and butterscotch something. What? I expected sweet and instead it was tart and citrusy and perfect. The one small sip I got of it was, at least.
We went brunchy instead of breakfasty for our meal, and Neel had a cheeseburger while Callum had steak frites with maitre'd butter. I had the tartine. Hello. A thick slice of crusty bread, white bean tapenade, lardons of bacon, artichokes, a fried egg and sherry vinaigrette.
After a Spiced Brown Sugar Latte (to keep me awake after the bloody), we were off to the Opera. Not after Neel and Callum made a quick purchase outside the restaurant.
The Carpenter Theater is stunningly beautiful, but moody and dark. Hard to photograph. At that point, I was pretty ready to put my camera away and enjoy the show. The Virginia Opera did a fabulous job, and I was captivated from the first note. The 3+ hour opera when by in a flash, and we were enthralled from start to finish. There was a moment, at the very start, as the orchestra begins the overture and the curtain begins to pull open that my chest feels tight and my eyes fill with tears. I'm just so moved by all the effort and beauty that these humans are going to give us. We talked about it on the way home...Mozart could have sat beside us and aside from the electric "candles," that was his opera, just as he intended it.
This was all Callum's doing (although I did check to see what operas the VA Opera was putting on), and he pushed us to bypass other obligations to go. I'm so glad we did it. It was so good to do as a family and to keep doing. The Magic Flute comes in November. I can't wait to go again.
Reader Comments (9)
That place is the Virginia Parc! I can't wait to go with you guys and devour a plate of moules frites. The opera is great, my parents used to take me to a few shows every winter growing up, either the orchestra, the opera, a choir event, etc. I inevitably fell asleep at all of them, but I was awake enough to have had it make a real impact on me, enough to know I want to take my own kids and expose them to such amazing culture and stories. I'm so happy you guys got to have this day. xo
Excellent blog entry, Lauren! Thanks for the vicarious trip to Richmond. To Can Can, I say, "OUI, definitely OUI!" I go there every time I head to Richmond for the French Film Fest. Your photos capture the essence of this wonderful restaurant. And I appreciate your nod to one of the best films EVER (imho). That specific scene is one of my faves. The other is the stroll "Loretta" takes down the street the morn after her opera date with "Ronnie." I've seen that movie so many times I think I could quote almost the entire script!
Hey neighbor,
Please know how this post touched me, in a few ways.
The descriptions of food and drink and beautiful Richmond shots brought back my own lovely memories of the Capitol (we lived there before here; I plan to live out my days in Tidewater, but you struck a chord of what I adored about Richmond). Callum's orange pants and cool guy shoes with his proper navy blazer and tie are so ... something ... that I must now resist the urge to [obnoxiously] say to my own son, "couldn't you be more like Callum?!?"
The lump in your throat as the curtain rose. Oh my goodness, I almost got it just reading your description. I choke up every time (EVERY TIME) I hear an orchestra tune. I love that scritchy-everyone-doing-their-own-thing sound; it's like the slightest pause at the top of a roller coaster that takes away your breath in anticipation. Delicious overwhelm. And you mention Moonstruck. Trivia: that was the first movie Wes took me to, ever, though we'd been dating over a year. It was after Cher and Nick seized the day (and each other) that Wes mustered the intestinal fortitude to tell me he loved me for the first time. Bella luna, baby. Later that same year that I got to see a matinee of La Boheme at the Met with Placido Domingo (this is NOT my normal life). I sank so deeply into an ugly cry at the end that my younger sister (I was 20, she 16) elbowed me and hissed that I was embarrassing her and to shut up. Good times!
You write and photograph beautifully. Blessings on your work and life. XO-SCL
What a beautiful post Sweetie. And the photos are gorgeous. It does look like a perfect day for you. The pic of Callum in his jacket with his orange pants is great and the shoes just complete the picture...the colors are great! I'm so glad you had such a wonderful day.
Gosh, that restaurant looks awesome, as does your meal and the theater! I'm so glad you snapped these pics and then shared them here with us. It's like we all got to come along on this enchanted evening. ;) I chuckled when I read Erin's comment about falling asleep when her parents took her to these sorts of outings. And yet, she has held on to the memories and thinks of them fondly. It's what I hope to give my kids, and it's what you're giving Callum now. All good stuff, and here's to more!
All of these pictures are so beautiful, Lauren! What a gorgeous place with gorgeous food. I have never been to an opera myself. I guess it's just not something I think about doing, but now I am feeling so inspired to find one to go to. I at least try to take Fisher to a play once a year, I started young so he always looks forward to it. I need to get M&L started too, though, they aren't quite as quiet as fisher was at this age ; )
and oh my goodness, look at that dapper young man! i am loving his pants and shoes with jacket and tie. cal can rock it :)
Your beautiful photos always leave me slightly speechless, and I ALWAYS scroll up to have another look! The descriptions of your delicious food has me practically drooling at my keyboard, willing time to pass quickly so that I can go out and by something bacon-y! I’ve never been to the opera either but a friend of mine took me to the ballet a few years ago, and I am ashamed to admit this but I fell asleep! Guess I am not cultured :)
It looks like you had a wonderful time and I am drooling over your food pictures
It looks amazing! The restaurant, meal and theatre; so magnificent! So great doing things as a family! xx