Football and Opera

Last Saturday was a day full of contrast: football in the morning, opera at night! My parents had bought my brother tickets for the IU–Ohio State football game for his birthday, so at 10 in the morning (that’s extremely bright and early for us college kids) my roommate Karen and I boarded the bus and headed on down to the football stadium. We both sported IU T-shirts; school spirit is a must at the football game.

It was great to see my brother and my dad again. We probably spent more time talking to each other than actually paying attention to the game (which was a good thing considering the depressing defeat IU suffered). Even though it got pretty chilly out there and we were surrounded by Ohio State fans, we had a great time!

That evening, I met a bunch of my friends at Mother Bear’s Pizza, a pizza joint across the street from my dorm building that reputedly ranks fourth in the nation (I find that hard to believe when I consider all the great pizza available in New York and Chicago). Our pizza came so late that we were in danger of missing the overture of the opera, so we ran down Jordan Avenue to the Musical Arts Center. Thankfully, we didn’t miss a single note. All of the harmony and sweeping melody and gut-wrenching poetry and romance and pathos and beauty of Roméo et Juliette was ours to experience and to fall in love with. And that’s exactly what we did. It was truly one of the most powerful musical experiences of my life.

There were moments when I melted right there in my seat, moments when I clutched my heart, moments when every fiber of my being concentrated on the futile prayer for a happy ending. I was mesmerized, captivated. I was inspired.