August: Osage County

We had not heard much about August and really not expecting much.  The poster and subject matter seemed dreary and boring.  Our expectations were far from the actual experience of this play.   It takes place in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, 60 miles northwest of Tulsa.  It is about family dynamics when the father decides to kill himself by disappearing into his favorite fishing lake.  The mother is played brilliantly by Estelle Parsons and I don't think it would have been the same with any other actress.  She seems helpless as she deals with her alcoholism and prescription medication but she rules the lives of her sister and children with an iron, unrelenting hand.  Several times throughout the play, I wasn't quite sure if I hated her or felt sorry for her.


The play was teeming with hard-core raw emotions, visceral at times and one yearns for the family relationships some of us deal with in our own reality.  Some of us have  somewhat tame lives, not as heart pounding, screaming, sobbing out loud drama created for entertainment and thought-provoking experiences.  Again, brilliant acting by Estelle Parsons, but the whole cast kept up with her and gave a dynamic performance.

Elixir of Love

This was premier opening night of the 2009/2010 L.A. Opera Season.  Glitz and glamour that could rival the Academy Awards.  There was an honest to goodness red carpet that we walked on towards the entrance to the theatre.  The area between the Dorothy Chandler and the fountain was set up for hors d'oeuvres and cocktails.  Lights, flowers, evening gowns and tuxedos were resplendent.  The Opera starts at 6pm and it may be due to the dinner event planned afterwards.  As we entered the theatre, champagne was passed out to the patrons in the lobby.

At the beginning of the performance, the conductor walked in to the applause of the audience.  Then they struck up the Star Spangled Banner as the lights were focused on the American flag in front of the theatre.  Every one stood and sang.  It was rather poignant because the day before was 9/11 which we should never forget.  Our seats were in row F seats 43/44.  F is close to the stage, but off to the side.  We soon discovered that it was too close to see the subtitles at the top of the stage.

The performance was great, but as Max said, "It isn't La Boheme".  In this opera by Mozart, no one dies.  It is actually a comedy and there is a happy ending.  The lady behind us commented to her companion, "Isn't that a bottle of Amaretto?" I'm assuming she is pointing to the picture of Nemorino on the program pictured to the right.  He said, "No dear, that is the Elixir."

Nemorino, a village peasant, is in love with the wealthy Adina.  In order to win her heart, he buys a magical elixir from Dr. Dulcamara, a shady con artist selling magical potions that will cure everything.  Nemorino believes the elixir will make Adina fall in love with him.  She realizes over time how devoted he is to her and she finally falls in love with him too.  It was great to see main characters that fit the part in appearance.  Both Nemorino and Adina are young, slim and attractive.  I can't quite get into the opera if the main characters are slightly overweight or older than what the character calls for.  Max said we saw the Elixir of Love in Orange County's Performance of the Arts, but this is more memorable with the main characters belting out their arias, hitting those high C's.  Wonderful, and a very memorable evening to start the season.