Last night I went to La Scala to see Ali Baba, an accademy production. Actually a kind of glorified end-of-term show! It wasn’t particularly good to tell the truth and I think most of the applause came from fond relations, but there again, everyone has to start somewhere. Cherubini’s less-than-spectacular music didn’t help either.
I love the feeling of excitement that buzzes around the little square where the early-birds sit and wait for those tall imposing doors to open. People of all nationalities hurrying to their (in many cases) once-in-a-lifetime treat. Nearly everyone having made the effort to dress nicely to underline the importance of the occasion.
Then the long climb up all those stairs to where the “poor” people sit! If you’re not overweight they can be some of the best seats in the house! Some of the boxes are awful! The best thing to do is fill the box with your friends, divide the price equally, then take turns at sitting in the front seats.
English that grows 