A while back I showcased Newman Levy, the greatest of opera doggerelists, and in particular his imperishable narrative verse account of Thaïs, known to opera lovers as the work of Jules Massenet. When I first ran across this gem 50-odd years ago I had never heard the story of Thaïs, didn't know there was an opera by that name, knew scarcely nothing about opera at all. I always loved the verse and today, I close the circle: we're off to the Palookaville Multiplex to see the Met's HD production of Thaïs with Renée Fleming. High expectations, more later.
Afterthought: Well, maybe tomorrow or Monday. After the opera, we trek off to a sing-along Messiah. I love these things: they can make me believe (against all evidence) that I really have a voice.
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