The last place I felt like being on Tuesday night was backstage at the San Francisco Opera in their fourth performance of "Boris Godunov." There were hellish work deadlines involved, a rather significant national election, an important anniversary with a friend, and various other matters which had put me at wit's end.
It turned out to be the perfect place to experience the Obama win, actually, because the large cast arrived for makeup and wigs around 6:30 when the election news was still sketchy.
Word of McCain's concession speech spread through backstage like wildfire a few minutes before everyone climbed up stairways for the coronation of the new Tsar Boris, in the only happy scene in the entire opera. The 80-person chorus, either because of the moment or because they were rested from a day off or because it was far enough in the run, finally knocked the scene out of the house. Some of them were crying while singing "Slava, slava, slava" which I assume means "praise" to the new leader. It was great.
6 comments:
I cried:)
best "Where I was on election night" story I've heard so far!!
Thanks for turning this story into a post. Beautiful stuff.
Mike - you really are a fantastic writer. I was sobbing like a baby as were most of my friends. Slava Obama! Now, let's hope that he does better than poor Boris!
very moving. tears in my eyes during my lunch break
I have a close friend in that chorus. I imagine she was crying tears of joy and sadness.
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