Happy Valentine's Day To You Too, You Cranky Old Bat

For Valentine's Day, we had tickets to see the San Diego Opera's production of Don Quixote. We had a little adventure getting there because dinner ran long and then we had a mix-up with the seats. (We meaning me. Steve was sharp-eyed enough to realize we weren't in our normal spot.) We sprinted upstairs and got correctly seated with a minute to spare. Normally, Steve is the one who's itching to arrive early. This time, I was the one insisting that we sprint down B Street to the theater.

It was a beautiful production - funny, touching, romantic in it's quixotic way. Ferruccio Furlanetto was amazing as Don Quixote. He's a great singer, a great actor and a perfect fit for that part. There were a lot of things done very well in the production - the supporting performers were solid, the orchestration was joyful, the sets and lighting were fresh and stunning.

As the crowd milled out, we were discussing the high points of the show. Not that it was flawless, but there were plenty of things that were definitely praiseworthy. Apparently, not enough for the old bat walking behind us. She was harping on how "awful" Denyce Graves was as Dulcinea. The old bat prattled on about how she was "horrible" two years ago and worse now.

For the record, Denyce Graves wasn't horrible at all. Admittedly, the first act wasn't kind to her; her costume was oddly barrel-like and the staging was off. (Dulcinea shows up and the party stops? Huh? Whatever Dulcinea's flaws, she wasn't a buzzkill.) However after a soft start, Denyce Graves gave a solid performance. Was she up to the level of Furlanetto? No, but it's sort of like saying Scottie Pippen wasn't as good as Micheal Jordan. Really, who was?

That harpy old bat really poisoned it for me. For the life of me, I will never understand why some people feel superior by being a harsh critic. It doesn't make you superior. It just makes you an unappreciative ass.

Photo credit: I swiped the photo from Aria Serious - the San Diego Opera blog.