My parents and I tried something a little different over the holidays this year — we celebrated in New York City. We hit all the typical requirements of Christmas in New York: the Rockettes, FAO Schwartz, Rockefeller Center, the New York City Ballet’s production of the Nutcracker — but also included plenty of unexpected stops along the way.
Among the most interesting of these stops was a backstage tour of the Metropolitan Opera, where we stood on the stage, tromped around amidst giant set pieces, and peeked into the dressing rooms.
Let you think it was all papier mache and union guys shouting at each other in thick Brooklyn accents (and there was plenty of both of those), let me assure you that opera singers and their behind-the-scenes team think about more than just the next entrance cue. As our tour guide whisked us through the maze of passageways behind and under the stage, I caught a glimpse of an article tacked to one of the company bulletin boards: “Let Farmers Fill Your Fridge.”
Because the Met has strict rules about making sure you are stepping on the heels of your tour guide at all times, I wasn’t able to take the time to skim the article or figure out in what magazine it appeared. However, it made me grin to know that even opera folks in the middle of Manhattan are concerned about the origin of the food that graces their table.
on Jan 18th, 2008 at 8:21 pm
I am so very jealous of your backstage tour! I bet you froze your hoohoo off in NYC at Christmas!
–Robin (Bumblebee)
on Jan 18th, 2008 at 10:11 pm
ohhh, NYC. I am envious, I have made The Big Apple a place I want to go and visit someday.
on Jan 19th, 2008 at 4:51 am
What a fun holiday! And a tour of the Met… We toured the opera house in Vienna once…and then managed to scrounge some last minute tickets for front row seats.
It’s hard to get ‘locally grown foods’ and ‘Manhattan’ into the same thought, though!
on Jan 19th, 2008 at 11:19 am
There is something magical about New York at Christmas time. I used to love looking in all the shop windows, skating at Rockefeller Plaza, seeing the Rockettes. The tour of the Met sounds like such fun.
on Jan 20th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
Yes, we even have CSA’s here. I would like to join one but they are set up for families rather than single people. And we have little tiny freezers here. I bet this is even a problem in Iowa
valerie from Brooklyn
on Jan 24th, 2008 at 12:51 am
What a fantastic experience. One day …. it’s be great to vist the US to do such a tour!
on Jan 29th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
Robin, it was a lot warmer in NYC at Christmas than in Iowa!
Curtis, you definitely need to put it on the list. NYC is amazing!
Katie, I’ve done the Vienna tour, too — it’s so cool! The Met, if you can believe it, has an even bigger stage facility.
Lydia, NYC is so magical at Christmas — I had such a good time!
Valerie, the tiny freezers would be a killer. But yes — I’m completely out of freezer space and had to go in with a friend on a deep freezer!
Jenny Litchfield, oh, you most definitely should. It’s wonderful!