Arts Stuff

We had gotten up yesterday to go to the Dixon for the Women in Arts event. We were there a little bit before the inside stuff opened up so we got to wander around the gardens (before a storm started to loom) and look at the tulips which are out in full force right now. Then we went inside and saw some of the various things. Some dance, a speech, violin performance, a mini play (acted by Voice of the South and we missed the beginning and I didn't catch what it was but it was an adaptation of some story with a woman and an old man trying to climb out of a window...absurdist, I liked it but don't know what it is now!), opera singing from Classical Melodies, a rock show. They didn't have food trucks this time but we were able to grab some food in the cafe for lunch and it was pretty good! I was almost nodding off by the end of it, I was so behind on sleep, so it was nice that after we got home I was able to find some time to take a little nap before we went out and did our next thing. That was a new opera from Opera Memphis up at Crosstown Theater. It's called Pretty Little Room and the music is by Robert Patterson and it's about a real lesbian murder trial-of-the-century thing that happened in Memphis back in 1892. It was quite good and the music was quite good, much more unusual than I might have expected. It was based around a string quintet but also added piano and percussion (with the MSO main percussionist with a whole array of stuff in a little corner). The stage was extended (it was a smallish chamber ensemble so the musicians' pit only took up about half the stage so it was a pit for half of it and the stage extended out on the other half) and we had seats off on the side right next to where it was extended so we were kinda right there on the stage. There was a panel before and a q&a afterwards and we attended both. The only thing annoying was before we went in and were waiting in line these two people cut in front of us and spent the whole rest of the time in line bragging about how they were cutting in line (okay!?). Afterwards when we were going into the parking garage, we ran into Ben. He was walking someone else to their car and went off on another floor but then when we got to our floor here he came running up to say hi to us (so that was very touching!) and we talked a little bit. He'd been to see another show in the Green Room but had gone to the same opera performance the night before. Okay, it's daylight savings and finally got to sleep in (so extra extra late, but so what?!). Okay, I think that's all I've got.