Let me check my schedule...uh, yeah, I'm free.

I’m going to the Met Friday with the best tickets I’ve ever had. I’ll be sitting…back stage!
That’s right, Friday’s performance of Rodelinda (yes, the one with Renee Flemming) will have yours truly hanging out in the wings.

Here’s how it happened:
On my coworker, A.E.’s, suggestion I emailed the two ASMs at the Met. To sum the email up in a sentence:

"My name is Mike, I’m an aspiring opera stage manager but I’m not sure I really know what I’m doing, do you have an hour you could spare to give help with some professional advice?"

And the message she left me in response:

"Hey Mike, why don’t you come hang out with us Friday for the opera and see how things are really done."

The thing is, even if I don’t learn anything, even if I don’t make any contacts (and yes, I will have a large stack of resumes and business cards handy) it’s still a once in a lifetime opportunity. I mean, as a singer and a stage manager this is the place of dreams.

I always wished they’d leave the curtain up at intermissions so we could watch what happens. Now I’ll know.