#76
Posted: 6/28/12 at 12:59pm
I got Standing Room at the Met for "Die Walküre" a few weeks back. If you've never done it, they actually have three rows worth of standing at the back of the Orchestra - three rows of the velvet lean-bars with Met Title displayers. My friend and I snagged the last two spots all the way house left in the first standing row, because otherwise you're looking over the backs of other people standing. You have to be quick on the draw online at 10AM when they go on sale if you want first row standing.
People of all ages do standing room at the opera, so it's not uncommon to see a broad range of people. But the woman directly behind me on the end of row 2 seemed particularly elderly and frail (and not so friendly), and had brought along a fold-up stool that she was sitting on.
As soon as the houselights dimmed and the conductor came out, she immediately walked out and placed her stool in the middle of the side aisle next to the last row of seats and plopped herself down. An usher quickly came up to her and quietly told her she couldn't put a stool in the middle of the aisle and sit there.
As the orchestra launched into the storm music, she loudly started protesting, "But I can't see anything from back there!!?! What, you expect me to just stand there behind people? I paid to see this opera!!!" while he was quietly saying "Ma'am, you bought a standing place, you'll have to remain there." "But how am I supposed to see!?! I can't believe this. You're gonna make me stand there the whole opera?" "Well, that's what standing room means, yes," by which point heads in the back of the orchestra were turning and the violent shushing of opera patrons began.
She took her place and was quiet for the rest of the evening but she was not happy. I don't recall if she stayed for all three acts. But she seemed genuinely shocked that they weren't just going to let her set up her own stool in the middle of the aisle. She was old, after all. She's entitled.
People of all ages do standing room at the opera, so it's not uncommon to see a broad range of people. But the woman directly behind me on the end of row 2 seemed particularly elderly and frail (and not so friendly), and had brought along a fold-up stool that she was sitting on.
As soon as the houselights dimmed and the conductor came out, she immediately walked out and placed her stool in the middle of the side aisle next to the last row of seats and plopped herself down. An usher quickly came up to her and quietly told her she couldn't put a stool in the middle of the aisle and sit there.
As the orchestra launched into the storm music, she loudly started protesting, "But I can't see anything from back there!!?! What, you expect me to just stand there behind people? I paid to see this opera!!!" while he was quietly saying "Ma'am, you bought a standing place, you'll have to remain there." "But how am I supposed to see!?! I can't believe this. You're gonna make me stand there the whole opera?" "Well, that's what standing room means, yes," by which point heads in the back of the orchestra were turning and the violent shushing of opera patrons began.
She took her place and was quiet for the rest of the evening but she was not happy. I don't recall if she stayed for all three acts. But she seemed genuinely shocked that they weren't just going to let her set up her own stool in the middle of the aisle. She was old, after all. She's entitled.
