-Grace Lee’23, Ivy Li ‘23
Of all the events that take place at St. Mark’s, there is one that exceeds all the others. A trip to the Metropolitan Opera is a lifetime chance for many, and many of our St. Markers were able to attend this year. The show was La Traviata, but that only proved to be one piece of the whole experience. Those who went on the trip with an open mind came out finding a new part of themselves.
A four hour bus trip sounded unbearable because of the length, but turned out to be quite relaxing and refreshing for many. Everybody watched the scenery outside the window change from the rural forests of Massachusetts to the bustling city of New York. People began to recognize familiar restaurants and houses as the bus drove past the rambunctious city. Everybody gathered around the fountain for a huge group photo, and once that was finished, everybody had an hour to themselves to explore New York City. Most people changed into fancy dresses and suits while others began taking photos near the fountain. Some used the time to their advantage to go shopping and bubble-tea drinking. Afterwards, everybody lined up for dinner and found a seat next to their friends. In an orderly fashion, each table was called to grab a buffet dinner. The dinner was pasta, chicken, roasted vegetables, and with a finishing touch of chocolate lava cake.
Then, it was showtime.
People were filing into the auditorium from all four corners. The magnificent Metropolitan Opera house towered over the audience, and a grandiose rose was projected onto the stage. The St. Mark’s students were offered the closest seats to the stage. St. Mark’s students did not have to worry about not being able to understand italian because there were translation screens in front of every seat. Before the students could finish taking in the magnificent sight, the curtains lifted up to reveal a beautifully decorated stage, with the performers sedentary on the bed and furniture.
The tragic love story went like this: Violetta Valery, who has a terminal illness, falls in love with Alfredo Germont in her final days. However, their relationship is challenged by Alfredo’s father. This tragedy was portrayed through song-only, and there brief scenes of dances. The whole performance was three hours long, but felt shorter because of how enthralling it was. Everybody left wanting to see more, and it was a great show that everybody was going to remember afterwards.
The time was around 11 o’clock when everybody filed onto the buses. We were given turkey sandwiches and chips, which was enough to fill us up for the long trip back. After the long opera, everyone seems lethargic, and most fell asleep right away. We arrived back in Southborough quickly, and everybody fell asleep in their dorms almost right away.
The opera trip was a memorable experience for the people who went, everybody came out of the opera feeling enthralled by the whole experience. There was a whole team of faculties and students who were able to make this trip possible, so as part of St. Mark’s, we want to acknowledge their hard work. If you haven’t yet been to the opera, it is an experience that you shouldn’t miss out on in the following years.
