We attended the opening night of the return of the Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera Last Saturday. Yeah music! Fittingly, featuring Vaughan Williams’ Concerto Grosso and Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, “Resurrection.”. Congresswoman Doris Matsui spoke before the performance. She talked about the importance of the arts. One o the things she said that I remember most was how music could bring back memories. When you hear a tune you will remember a time you might have forgotten when that tune was playing.
With all the basketball this and arena that in the news the performing arts seemed to have taken second stage. The Ballet cancelled an event we had tickets for – it cost more to hold the event then funds would justify. The dancers laid off have formed their own company and are performing in a smaller setting. The city has appeared to be headed toward a cultural wasteland. yes, we have roadway shows and the Music Circus, the Mondavi Center in Davis, but symphony, orchestra, opera, ballet . … exposure has been limited. I remember going to see the people play violins, bang the kettle drums, and sing strange songs with foreign words when I was young. Here, in Sacramento. Mozart, Brahms, Gilbert and Sullivan, Peter Pan, Mary Poppins live on stage. Heck, i even played a bunny rabbit for Captain Kangaroo at the Memorial Auditorium. I watched the elephants walk through the corridors of the old auditorium – that was something – elephants walking in where I had walked myself to see a show. But nothing beat the strings and kettle drums.
The point I guess is while everything changes somethings should stay the same. it should not be such a battle for kids to hear a symphony or watch Peter Pan fly. There will always be adults who choose to take their kids to the next great movie or comic-con over the opera or ballet but I believe there are still adults working to expose the youth to the joy and magic of the performing arts and classical music.
KRP dozed off at the concert and I giggled along with the lady near us whose husband had done the same, we knew what was coming. We stifled giggles as their heads jumped up.
The critics are out there and most of what they say about the show is true. I am just happy that the symphony orchestra is back.
It’s sad that the arts seem to be departing from your area. I know we’re extremely fortunate here, having a theater right in our little town, orchestras in several surrounding burgs, museums and art centers in other close-by areas, and the cultural abundance of Philadelphia just ten minutes away! While I don’t get to frequent them all, I’m grateful for their existence.
Yes, there are many working on keeping going here. San Francisco is the closest to us here for the museums etc. a hour and half drive on a good traffic day and then the time it takes to park . …