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Life & Arts

Don't knock it till the fat lady sings

Gimme Culture

Matt Dulin

Operas are foreign to most people. They are entertainment fare for the elite, it would seem -- appreciable by only the highly educated, culturally literate and obviously well-to-do. 

While this is completely untrue, I understood why people might think that way when I attended my first opera Saturday -- the opening night of Houston Grand Opera's production of Gaetano Donizetti's Don Pasquale. It was there, during intermission, where I stared at a refreshments table offering me $6 cookies. It was next to a table of little bottles of drinks -- including what are presumably the staple beverages of any high-class outing, Perrier and red wine -- the prices of which I dared not ask, for fear of giving away my identity as a college student who still lives with his parents.

I was standing there in the giant lobby of the Wortham Theater Center, feeling as though I should be very intimidated by it all. But then I relaxed a moment and realized that I wasn't. I was, in fact, looking forward to the rest of the opera.

I was eager to learn of the fate of old Don Pasquale, the titular character of the Italian comedy opera, or opera buffa. The man, who says he is 70, had just gotten married to a woman he thought to have been something of an innocent saint -- in his estimation, a perfect wife. But just before intermission, we see her "true" nature surface minutes after the marriage is made official: She is a tyrant of a woman intent on spending the poor man into oblivion. Her behavior is wholly intentional, with great comedic effect. And as you will find if you see the performance yourself, this is all for a good cause. (The good cause being the ultimate good cause for anything: love.) 

Don Pasquale has endured since its first performance in 1843 (It was first performed in the United States in 1846 in New Orleans) for its simplicity and its humor. In contrast to the pretension one might bring to, or perceive at, an opera, the comedy of Don Pasquale requires no college degree to understand. In fact, in the closing scene, the female lead addresses the audience directly, essentially saying, "For those of you who missed it, the moral of the story is this: If you're old, don't marry a young woman." Indeed, the literal translation, which is displayed above the stage, is not far from that.

Nor does one have to have a classically trained ear to appreciate the light-hearted, yet dynamic musical accompaniment. Anyone who recognizes the dramatic power of a film's soundtrack can see its precedent at work in an opera, arguably with greater effect. 

Speaking of which, you know the somber trumpet tune of the Godfather films? You'll recognize parts of the melody when you hear the lovesick solo of Ernesto in the second act -- another reminder that nothing these days is wholly original.

Going to the opera is something every college student should try. Don't let the bit about $6 cookies scare you, though an opera outing will likely be a little more expensive than, say, a movie. HGO offers good deals on student tickets, which can be a little as $10 on a rush basis only. Keep in mind, though, you'll probably have to pay for parking

It should be a fun experience, too: Bring a date, get dressed up (way up) and eat a nice dinner. Most of all, approach the opera with an open mind.

Afterward, as the audience poured out of the theater, the opera, as an institution, seemed less pretentious, less unapproachable. I wished then that I had not held my fellow audience members in contempt for being at an opera, too. I also almost wished I had gotten the full experience -- I almost wished I had eaten a $6 cookie.

Send comments to dcshobiz@mail.uh.edu