Trying too Hard to be Cultured

I was thinking about tagging along with friends to watch the above musical. This theatrical performance received rave reviews from the main stream media but more importantly, friends who went ahead and watched it sang its praises too, and we all know who we can trust more. Still thinking about it though. Ticket prices range from S$50 - S$110.

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All this contemplation made me recall a repressed memory. I recalled that I had been to an opera once, a Hungarian Opera no less, at the Kallang Theatre. FD Senior got 4 free tickets to see this opera but would rather vegetate in front of the TV, so I along with my sister and 2 friends went instead. Big mistake, big BIG mistake.

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First of all, I was 14 at that point in time, so I was keen to experience new things, but mostly, I was just trying too hard to be cultured, it might have been to impress some girl, not sure, really can't remember. ( That memory remains repressed )

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Ok, now for the juicy embarrassing bits. All 4 of us turned up under-dressed for the occassion. Most of the adults were dressed in flowing gowns and suits BUT we were in T-shirts and Jeans. What was more embarrassing was our lack of appreciation for the ARTs. It did not occur to us that a Hungarian Opera also meant that the Opera would be in Hungarian. We spent the whole time looking at a long banner that was displaying subtitles. Well, soon enough, I was bored to bits and started to drift off to sleep. What was WORSE! I started to SNORE, in the middle of the opera! I only awoke and acted all nonchanlant when members of the audience started to shoosh me. In my defense, I would have headed home a long time ago had it not been that we were seated right smack in the middle.

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Anyway, the opera sucked. That was not just my disgruntled opinion, it was a fact. Ticket sales was so poor, they were giving them out to certain people/organisations for free to avoid the embarrassment of an empty theatre.

What Happened FD?

Well, the (unofficial) story goes that our Ex Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew went on an official visit to Hungry. There, he was treated to the Hungarian Opera. He gave them high praise for their performance and even suggested that they bring their act to Singapore. Well, those Hungarians took it literally, not knowing that he was just exercising the use of some political pleasantries. There you have it.

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The moral of the story?

Daddy knows best: TV Good, Incomprehensible Hungarian Opera BAD.