Monday, January 9, 2023

Laughing my butt off at the "opera"

 

I'm obliged to the fellows at Gun Free Zone for their choice of Sunday music yesterday.  It had me laughing out loud, and I'm sure you will too.




It's not just music, either.  In my dim and distant youth, I was part of an amateur dramatics troupe that was vaguely associated with the Cape Performing Arts Board (CAPAB) in Cape Town, South Africa.  CAPAB had many groups, divisions and sections, from high opera, through operetta, through various forms of theater.  Those of us in the "amateur" section were snootily looked down upon by almost all the others, because we weren't "professionals" like they were.  It annoyed the poop out of them that we often had more paying customers for our light entertainment than they did for their heavier varieties.  Oh, some of the stories of rivalry, envy and jealousy I could tell . . .

(I won't, though - at least, not here.  I try to keep this blog family-friendly!)

Peter


6 comments:

  1. A hearty endoresement of the attitude revealed about 7:00 or 7:10... " [ZORCH] 'em both, go sing the Blues!"

    And I am reminded of a tune I heard, way back when, on Dr. Demento about a fellow in (or in between) two different worlds: Redneck Intellectual. Though, really, that's likely woefully unfair to most "rednecks."

    Also recalling a bit from some Spike Jones tune where a gal sang a SUSTAAAAAAAIIIIIIIINED note and finally someone yelled, "Turn the page, fathead!"

    --

    And Off-Topic, but I recall seeing, on C-band satellite, various news short stories and one or two at the end often had "EMBARGOED TO FLORIDA" or "EMBARGOED TO JO'BERG." Oddly, I think Florida was the more restricted. ~SHRUG~ It was the mid-1908's.

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  2. Er, mind 1980's.. but you all knew that, of course.

    Ox... typos with hooves.

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  3. The really funny bit is that Ms O'Hara *is* a from the get-go classically trained soprano and regularly performs at the Met.

    She was born of the Dirt People in Oklahoma back in the mists of time, so I suppose that's something. In this case, the System appears to have hoovered up Talent and

    But it's for sure easier to ham it up de haute en bas than vice-versa.

    If you want a *real* story of Just How the Effing Eff did THIS Happen? see here:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Volpe_(opera_manager)

    Brooklyn of Yore Wop goes from failed auto mechanic to carpenter to General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera.

    I'm going just just put it out there that after he dies and certain civil law remedies expire along with him, there will be some interesting biographical revelations.

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  4. That was great! Too bad my old ears couldn't make out most of it. Any printed lyrics to read?

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  5. Nevermind. Found 'em. Thanks for posting that delightful piece.

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