I have never seen Nabucco, and have never seen an opera performed outside of Lincoln Center. The Met to me is just a magical experience, which is so perfectly captured in Moonstruck. My dad loved opera, and used to take me to the Met when I was only 9 or 10. Back then, the women all wore evening dresses, which only added to the magic.

I actually shared this story with TB and DC, but I'll share it with you guys. Mr. Babe never wanted to go to the opera, but he surprised me with orchestra seats at the Met for Cavelleria and Pagliacci for our anniversary a few years ago. I ordered a glass of the house champagne before the performance, and must have had an allergic reaction to the sulfides or something. Well, my nose was running, I was sneezing, my eyes swelled up, and everyone sitting around us wanted to KILL me. Between operas, I went to the ladies room and splashed ice cold water on my face, but it didn't seem to help, so I took an allergy pill.

Needless to say, in the middle of Vesti La Giubba, the famous aria, Mr. Babe turns to me, and I was snoring away, sound asleep! That poor man has the patience of a saint!