It’s light, witty and energetic, about a widow whose husband left her $20m and stipulated that once she remarries, the money would go to her new husband. So, to keep her money in the fatherland, they tried to find her a husband.
Lehár was an Austro-Hungarian composer, hence the Vaterland. Chinese 祖国 (ancestor country) translates into English as “motherland”. I remembered this because at German school, our classmates had a big discussion on it.
This production is in English, which isn’t often in the operatic world.
One of Maxim’s (1893) in China was in Tianjin (ta), at 2 Changde Dao, in what is now known as the Five Great Avenues. The last couple of times I was there, I didn’t see it anymore: closed or relocated?
Their youth opera (summer camp) or other group often comes to perform beforehand. Tonight is one of them, a cool, dry evening makes it perfect.
The gentleman who caught me dozing is sitting behind me again. For that, I used two toothpicks to keep my eyes wide open -:) … Eyes Wide Shut (1999: fiction vs Epstein?)
We’ve
~ Salty fish chicken tofu pot 咸鱼鸡粒豆腐煲
~ Beef short ribs 黑椒牛仔骨
The pot arrived while still bubbling. I’m impressed, given the clientele is retired Caucasians. The taste is ok, with a hint of sweetness. Despite the name ‘chicken cubes’, the chicken is sliced.
The short ribs are fine. The last bite of a green bell pepper tasted weird.
When we got there at 5, the place was rather empty. After waiting for a minute, we sat ourselves by the cashier, and directed the traffic till the place was humming 30 minutes later.
Two ladies serve the room in red tops; both speak Cantonese. One really looks like a Cantonese speaker.
The take-out is popular, non-stop.
Cantonese pop is playing in the background. Hand written bills. They serve wine and beer.
We walked the strip mall before heading to the opera. The area is full of bars, restaurants, and more. Lexus, Benzs, Range Rovers, and Cadillacs are everywhere.
This La bohème production is exquisite with three intermissions: stellar singers and beautiful sets. Sure, can’t help but compare it to the one at the Met in NYC: this one is pretty good, with a smaller scale that felt cozy and intimate. Simply one of the better operas we’ve attended in Sarasota.
The program & cast is for the entire season. It also comes with their 2026 fall and 2027 winter productions.
Two singers are from South Korea.
~ Tenor Woo Young Yoon (Rodolfo)
~ Bass Young Bok Kim (Colline) who looks like Ozawa
~ Soprano Virginia Mims (Musetta)
Ok, here is a laugh: a gentleman sat behind us asked my husband during the first intermission if I had dozed off.
I did. Three sets of hard-fought tennis, a big dinner, and wine… I was tired. But didn’t miss too much – my spouse’s elbow kept me awake -:)
La Boheme 波西米亚人
这场制作精良的歌剧有三次幕间休息.歌唱家技艺精湛,舞台布景美轮美奂. 规模较小,营造出一种温馨私密的氛围 [强]
有两位来自韩国 一男高音,一男低音长的有些像小泽征尔
Victoria’s Hong Kong Cafe & Tea has an open kitchen, clean decor of wooden planks (?) and good service.
We have:
~ Bell pepper with beef
~ Rice plate w/ pork & steamed chicken leg
A huge portion, from wine to food.
I’m dying for the boxed Cantonese BBQ lunch盒饭, for dinner this time. I jokingly call it the most popular peasant’s lunch. Victoria’s:
cha sui 叉烧 is very lean
the steamed chicken leg 白切鸡 bone in is likely from the freezer: the massive portion of ginger and scallion on top is the best part. It comes with fried rice; white rice is extra – a little unconventional.
the four florets of broccoli are firm & fresh
I added extra sausage 腊肠, which isn’t Cantonese, more like Taiwanese, fat and sweet
They offer us a booth that is equipped with a call button. A plate of fried peanuts is on the house, even they’ve it on the menu.
We haven’t ordered bell pepper in a restaurant since the last time in Miami with mouled bellpepper at Helen Huang’s Mandarin House in Miami nearly two years prior. Generous cut with a generous portion.
Sticky floor; spacious bathroom; an out door section. Our server is a kid who reminds me of pianist Lang Lang.
Tonight’s program: Triple Concerto for Violin, Cello & Piano Bruckner: Symphony No. 4
Michael Francis conducts Beethoven’s breathtaking Triple Concerto for Violin, Cello and Piano, featuring TFO’s Yoni Draiblate and Nancy Chang, as well as guest Marika Bournaki.
Beethoven’s triple concerto (1803-4, published in 1807) is his only concerto for cello is simply wonderful – it’s Beethoven -:), need I say more?
J Anton Bruckner (1824-96) was an Austrian composer. His Symphony #4 (nickname Romantic; written in 1874; premiered in 1881) is a massive piece – I thought I’d just sleep, but the pre-concert talk provided more details that made the listening more interesting – I sat through it and enjoyed.
After the concert, I saw a few onion heads in the near distance: what are they?
Giulio Cesare (1724) by Handel (1685-1759), the German-British Baroque composer.
Who will rule (the world) 😉
Handel clearly knew what he was doing with Giulio Cesare in Egitto. Romans and Egyptians (not Greeks, though the Hellenistic vibe makes that confusion very forgivable) circling Egypt like elegant predators. It’s basically geopolitics as opera seria—power, desire, manipulation, all wrapped in dazzling arias.
Cesare’s suave imperial confidence, Cleopatra’s weaponized charm, Tolomeo’s full-on venom… everyone is scheming, seducing, or stabbing (emotionally, if not literally). No one is innocent; some are just better dressed. Handel really leans into that moral slipperiness: Cleopatra rules by performance—she acts her way into power. Cesare conquers with restraint, which somehow makes him more dangerous. Tolomeo is practically dripping poison every time he opens his mouth.
Are you rooting for anyone, or just enjoying watching them all out-scheme each other?
This production’s stage design is the best so far at this venue, and singers are all wonderful; figeratively speaking, they’re the slimiest cast so far.
There is a new act by the audience, besides the latecomers, candy wrappers, and whispers: a young woman constantly shaking her plastic cup (probably soda), making the ice cubes clash. For Pete’s sake, it isn’t a baseball game. I wish the older male companions would stop her from shaking, but they didn’t, unfortunately.
(The venue is small without a pit. They heavily use the aisles at the start or during the performance. Therefore, the latecomers should have been banned, but unfortunately they’re allowed: they disrupt the audience who came on time and pose a danger to the cast.)
The cushions are comfortable for back support. Plastic tableware and disposable chopsticks.
