Allen Freed, American Bandstand, Cousin Brucie, Bill Haley's Rock Around the Clock, The Four Aces...those were the days my friend, I thought they'd never end....
 

The story of Madame Butterfly was shoved down my throat during my senior year of high school.  Yes, it was a heart wrenching plot but I had no interest in listening to lyrics I couldn't understand. 

AND THEN THERE WAS BEVERLY....After retiring from singing in 1980, Beverly Sills (operatic soprano) became the general manager and director of the New York City Opera.  Three years later she inaugurated English subtitled live opera performances.

This remarkable innovation had absolutely nothing to do with me.  Opera was for the older people...the stuffed shirts... the social climbers, the high brows.  "Stupid Cupid" had so much more to offer than "Aida."  Didn't it?

Then in 1984 when the NY Times ran an advertisement for the New York City Opera's performance of Madame Butterfly with English subtitles, I remembered the heartbreaking unrequited love story and beyond all reason, I purchased two tickets.

I convinced my then 20 year old daughter to put down her records of THE WHO for one evening and accompany me to the performance.   What a remarkable evening.  The sub-titles made it for us. The performances and spectacular music were not lost on us.  After the performance we went directly to the box office and purchased a subscription for the rest of the season. 

FAST FORWARD...Metallica, Pink, U2...The idols of my grandchildren.  Their time had now come too. We took them early on (granddaughter age 10, grandson age 9) to Madame Butterfly. My granddaughter spent the entire performance asking us, "How much longer until it's over?" and my grandson slept on the floor at our feet.  They were too young.  We waited a few more years and tried again.

Both grandchildren absolutely loved the opera. We aren't rushing anytime soon to take them to other performances.  We decided to wait until they are in their late teens.  But we definitely have the next generation of opera lovers in the wings.

Long gone are my old 45 RPM records but whenever PBS TV airs their Rock n' Roll shows, I am front and center on my couch.  Although I haven't seen any operas in Vegas since moving here, I definitely intend to.  My music worlds have not collided.  They happily and easily co-exist. 

Side Bar:  Puccini's opera La Boheme was made into the 1990 American Tony Award & Pulitzer Prize winning rock opera RENT. (Proof again, the two world's need not collide).

Side Side Bar:  I erroneously neglected to mention that before taking my grandchildren to the opera, I had purchased the Madame Butterfly eye-catching picture book which I read to them on sleepovers.  The book is a faithful introduction for children about to attend their first opera performance and definitely whet their appetite to see the live performance.

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