Opera in Prospect Park

Summer started tonight and what a perfect way to welcome the season!

Tonight we met friends out in Prospect Park, Brooklyn for the Metropolitan Opera with Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna, opera’s first superstar couple. Usually this event is held every summer in Central Park and an entire opera is staged. However, this year they moved it to Brooklyn and performed some greatest hits of opera.

Friends had arrived early and held lots of space on the grass and we enjoyed meeting our friend X’s new boyfriend and friends of both of theirs. Everyone brought loads of picnic type food, wine (none for me!), sweets and we all had the best time. Even though there were 10’s of thousands of people (there’s a bit of a mystery as to the exact number) attending this free performance, it had none of the crazed atmosphere that it does in Central Park. The Met had predicted up to 150,000 people, and were set up to handle a crowd that large. The police estimate the turnout at 50,000, which is still the largest ever for a show in the park. Regardless, the show was very well received and included seven encores.

There was one point at the very beginning of the concert when a police helicopter was patrolling in circles above us and you could hear the grumbling of the crowds as it was a huge disruption. When they went around a second time, I swear the entire crowd raised their hands to flip them off and they finally flew away!

We really like Brooklyn and could see ourselves living there at some point. The evening was wonderful and after leaving we formed a small party back at X’s boyfriend’s house. He has a fabulous balcony with views along the East River and beyond where we hung out and chatted in the cool air.

Nights like this remind me of how much I love New York City all over again.