Bizet's Beefcake...

...or how I learned to stop worrying and love Nathan Gunn's bare chest.

Kidding.

Sort of.

This year, a friend and I have season subscriptions to the Lyric Opera of Chicago. While I know that we're currently in an economic downturn and I should be cutting back on spending, I see opera has a "need," not a "want." So, last night, off we went to see Les Pecheurs de Perles, or The Pearl Fishers.

Admittingly, the only thing I knew about LPP before going to see it last night was the famous Act One duet between Zurga and Nadir (two of the main characters).

What I also didn't know was that Zurga, played by baritone Nathan Gunn, is required to remain half-dressed for the duration of the opera. At first, I could see right through the obvious staging that resulted in his stripping - does he really need to offer his shirt to the other fisherman in order to confirm his leadership? But then, cursing my lack of opera glasses, I decided to sit back, and just enjoy the view from my upper balcony seats.

I know the woman sitting next to me was also enjoying the half-nekkid Zurga as she made the brilliant decision to wear approximately 82 bangles on her arms, so every time she lifted up her opera glasses for a better view, I got to hear my own petite percussion section.

The other thing I noticed was that while there is much gnashing of teeth over keeping one's vow, in practice, I'm not sure any of the characters fully understood the concept. Or, in the words of the brilliant Inigo Montoya, "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

Let me explain further: Zurga and Nadir had vowed several years before to never act on their love for Leila so as not to ruin their friendship - Oops, Nadir lied and went back to woo and love Leila; Leila took a vow to stay a virgin and pray for protection day and night for all of the fishermen - Oops, she has sexy times with Nadir instead. And then out of nowhere Zurga has some other vow in Act Three that hasn't been mentioned, but I'm pretty sure that he broke it, so in the end he saves the lovers Nadir and Leila to keep a vow that was really a hazy one in the first place. Good times.

Up until now, I might be giving the highly critical impression that I did not enjoy the opera.

Au contraire mes amis!!

The music was absolutely gorgeous. Plus bonus points for this girl!! I totes recognized the reoccurring musical theme that was initiated during the aforementioned Act One duet. All thanks to the extremely demanding professor I had in grad school for the hysterically difficult 500-level opera literature course.

Plus more bonus points for all of the French classes paying off. I didn't understand everything, and the surtitles definitely came in handy, but I actually could follow the opera pretty well. It only became a real problem when I started thinking things like, "Ooh, that verb was the plus-que-parfait tense, " or "Huh, that translation isn't really close to what he's singing."

But overall, I have to say I was pleased with a) remembering some importants things from a class I had three years ago and b) remembering some important things from a class I had three days ago. Alas, high-fives all around were not appropriate...plus bangle-woman might have injured me during the course of said high-five.


Lastly, I have to mention that LPP was the fourth opera I have seen at the Lyric since moving to Chicago, and for every single one I have had a tiny 3-hour love affair with the stage design: the richness of La traviata, the ingenuity of Falstaff, the starkness of Eugene Onegin, and this year's incredible use of space for LLP.

And yes, in case you all are wondering, you will be subjected after each of the seven more operas, to my slightly erratic "reviews" of each one.

Bon chance!