For the first time in my life, I had the pleasure of enjoying the opera. I was able to go to opening night of Don Giovanni at the Ordway Theatre with my wife. It was such a joy to experience the drama of the opera (along with the drama of the event itself!)
The story was about Don Giovanni, a Don Juan type who isn’t quite as sympathetic. In the opening scene, Giovanni is trying to rid himself of a woman he supposedly raped, then kills her father when he confronts him. The whole scene is observed by Giovanni’s servant Leporello, who despises Giovanni and his antics. As the story unfolds, who appears but another woman who had a recent run-in with Giovanni, and yet another just-married bride whom Giovanni is trying to seduce. Once they all put their stories together and figure out what Giovanni is about, they form a lynch mob out for revenge.
What really rang out to me from this story is how all the characters agreed that Giovanni was slime, yet each one of them had moments where they were ready to forgive him and give him another chance. On a couple of occasions, characters lamented that they were "so confused…I have a million emotions running through me at once, what am I to do?"
When alone with Giovanni, they were taken in by his charm and wit. They really wanted to BELIEVE what he was telling them. But they ignored the energy that was behind him. Giovanni was anything but authentic, and on some level they knew this.
How often are we led down a road by someone who is blatantly lying to us, but we really want to believe what they have to say? We play into this drama, wishing the person who is taking advantage of us will be who we want them to be. Or this person is presenting himself a certain way, a way that is about the "high road" or some sort of "enlightened way of being" that is above deceit. Yet, on a higher level, we know that their energy is not behind their words. They are talking the talk, but not walking the walk.
Why do we so often ignore our intuition? Why do we let this person take us so far down their road of lies and treachery before finally lifting the veil? It’s an interesting question to ask.
This performance is reminding me to check in with my intuition in a deeper way. There are events in my life where a Giovanni character is taking me for rides. This lesson is helping me grow and see things a different way. And the beauty is that there were probably many different spiritual lessons weaved into this performance, and each person attending had an opportunity to learn more about him or herself through the story.
If you have never been to the opera or if it has been a while, I highly recommend a visit soon. It touches you in a different way than the movies or television, because you are a part of the show, a part of the energy. The actors and their characters are playing off each and every audience member. A delicious experience!
Coming up: Orazi and Curiazi on April 8, 9, 11, 13 and 15. For tickets or information, call (651) 224-4222.
