Toronto - Wrapping up Toronto

I have gone back and forth a few times on whether I would travel to see a show again.

Initially I thought that was a bad idea, because I was a little disappointed with the production. It's not that they did a bad job, exactly, but this was where I started getting really jaded with the shift toward post-modernism. Everything was black and sterile, and the dragon was a bunch of acrobats in a pyramid formation. The only real color in all four shows was in the synthetic wigs of the Rhinemaidens when in their last ditch effort to recover the Rhinegold they dressed up as street walkers (as you do).

While I do understand that if you always kept opera traditional in costumes and manner that it would become this stuffy old stereotype, the move in the opposite direction has a tendency to over-intellectualize that often runs counter to the passion that makes opera memorable.

(I have written about this in the main blog, most recently in November: http://sporkful.blogspot.com/2013/11/salome-and-portland-opera.html)

Based on the opera itself, I was not sure if it was worth the trip. At the same time, I have still seen the Ring Cycle in its entirety, and not everyone can say that.

More to the point, there were a lot of cool things about Toronto, and it was ultimately the opera that got me there. It's not that I had specific objections to going, but I don't know what else would have made me plan the trip. For one thing, I don't normally vacation alone, and so when you are traveling with other people there are always other considerations. Having gone, I like the things that I did, and writing them up over these past few weeks has reminded me of that - I saw some really cool stuff.

(For what it is worth, the Four Seasons Centre itself, for which the Ring Cycle was the grand opening, is quite lovely.)

So under the right circumstances, I might travel for a show again. Granted, back when I did that I had more disposable income, so that is always a factor, but travel tends to agree with me. I might not travel for an opera again, but I could. If travel for other reasons led to a chance to see an opera somewhere else, like The Met or La Scala, I would probably go for that. The symphony at the Sydney Opera House was amazing. I remain open to new things.

However, I will never buy two tickets again in the hopes that I will be able to come up with a companion if I do not already have one lined up. That was just dumb. When I did it, traveling alone and going to shows alone both seemed more intimidating, but I know better now.

http://www.coc.ca/