mountains & medicine.: A Night at the Opera

The first night of the Whitaker Conference, all Whitaker grantees had the opportunity to attend a show at the Hungarian Opera House. It was an absolute treat.

the hungarian opera house.

The amazing thing about attending an opera was that it was something I would definitely want to do, but probably wouldn't do, if I were visiting Budapest alone. Were this a normal sightseeing trip, I would probably walk outside the building, take a few photos, note that MacBeth was playing, and ponder that if I had more time and a larger budget, it would be really, really awesome to see a show.

That being said, when I learned that the first night of the conference included a trip to the opera, I was super, super excited.

The specific show we attended was an adaptation of Shakespeare's MacBeth by the 19th century Italian composer Guiseppe Verdi. The opera itself was in Italian, while a large screen displayed Hungarian subtitles. Fortunately, between acting in a middle-school mini-production of MacBeth and reading the Wikipedia synopsis the night before, I was able to keep a decently firm handle on the plot.

To be honest, though, I'm sure how much the specific opera affected my overall experience. The elaborate costumes, outstanding orchestra, beautiful opera house, and chance to dress up and do something exciting all came together to create a fantastic theatrical experience. I absolutely loved it.