Opera. Or in italian, Opera.

This week was a dichotomy of events.  On Sunday we went to a Formula 1/V8 Supercars race, and on Wednesday, we went to the opera.  We are very worldly.

We were invited to the Opera in the Market with one of our agencies.  Opera in the Market took place in one of the largest open-air markets in Melbourne, the Queen Victoria Market.  It has been in operation for 130 years and sells local produce, meat, seafood, and deli stuff.  They also sell trash and trinkets, but are best known for the food.

Seating for about 700 people.

The Opera in the Market cleared out one full stall and was a fundraiser for St. Vincent's Hospital Cancer Center.  The medical field is pretty interesting in Australia, in that there are both public and private hospitals, and you can only go to a private hospital if you have the appropriate insurance.  To make matters even more complicated, if you are on public insurance, the government tells you which hospital that you have to go to, you don't have a choice.

St. Vincent's is a combo of private and public, and is supposed to be a great hospital and they are in the process of building a new cancer wing that will offer patients more space and privacy.

The market stalls cleaned out.

It was a fancy event.  Dress code called for "Cocktail/Lounge"
"Lounge" for Jeff and I typically consists of sweatpants, so we went "Cocktail."

The opera was a hybrid event, too, in that there was a full orchestra, 100 person chorus, and the famed Aussie trumpeter, James Morrison.  Elena Xanthaodakis and Roy Best were the opera singers, and the orchestra was conducted by Guy Noble.  Some of these are apparently big names in the Aussie Opera scene.  We didn't know any of them.  Jeff thought that the trumpeter was a blow hard.

An illegal picture during the event.

The opera was interesting.  Apparently a noteworthy opera piece has yet to be conceived in English.  For me, the orchestra and trumpeter were the best parts (in addition to the great food).  For Jeff, he most enjoyed some random guy in our row that stole a banana off of the decorations and was eating it during the performance.  Jeff had some one-liners at the expense of the trumpeter; he tooted his own horn quite a bit.