As mid-range tickets to the National Opera House of Ukraine are cheaper than movie tickets in Japan (and the cheap seats are about the equivalent of USD $2.50!), taking in a performance here is a must while in Kiev. The constant cold rain outside only made the idea even grander! I scored tickets to the ballet of Gieselle (my first live ballet since dance classes in third grade), and another English Language Fellow and I headed our for a glorious performance:
The 1901 Neo-Renaissance building (rebuilt after the original 1867 theater was destroyed by--what else??--a fire) really makes you feel like you're on the streets of Vienna:
The old worn metal coat check medallions have so much character:
After a rainy day of "sightseeing" and puddle-jumping, it was good to be in a nice, warm, beautiful theater:
It's amazing how completely cultured and sophisticated you feel once you step into an opera house not as a mere tourist, but as a part of the audience. Eating chocolate and drinking wine in the hallways probably didn't help that cause much, but it was a great experience that even the terrible weather couldn't dampen!
No comments:
Post a Comment