Wednesday, January 22, 2003


Last night's birthday went outstandingly--Jean-Michele took me to see La Boheme, the Puccini opera playing on Broadway that was conceived and directed by Baz Luhrman.

You can get the skinny with the NYT review which I think is right on the money. While certainly not an opera fanatic, I have loved opera for years, and the blending of cinema, theater and opera in Luhrmann's work here is exquisite--I found it moving, thrilling and more human than any opera I have ever seen previously.

As if this were not enough, it features a midget, explosions of light and set pieces torn from Moulin Rouge but integrated seamlessly into a theatrical happening. I loved the way you could see the scene changes take shape, watch the different actors take their places and change coats--it was a very special event. I would highly recommend this piece, and I spent a lot of the show with my mouth open, thrilled when I thought of another person whom I wanted to take to see it.

Afterward we went to one of my favorite restaurants, The Grange Hall, which sits right next to the Cherry Lane, where 21DY ran for six months last year. They remember us there, and we had a magnificent dinner...I'd been craving their wild boar sausage for a number of weeks, and it was wonderful.

Giftwise I made out like a very practical bandit: I got gloves, a hat and a scarf to keep me from freezing to death outside, a very nice silver ring to placehold for my missing wedding band and this book full of short stories from Maine.