I'm working on my entry about yesterday's matinee at New York City Ballet which may be slow in appearing as I have some pesky domestic things to deal with today but I think I'm also having trouble getting a focus in writing about the afternoon because early into the STRAVINSKY VIOLIN CONCERTO the f__king idiot sitting behind me unwrapped a SANDWICH.
We have all been in the theatre when someone decides they simply must have a mint or candy in the middle of some gorgeous piece of music (always during a quiet passage); invariably the culprit tries to minimize the sound of the crinkly wrapper by opening it V-E-R-Y S-L-O-W-L-Y. Of course that only prolongs the disturbance.
Well, the guy behind me simply tore into his wrapper boldly...no attempt at restraint. Apparently he felt it's perfectly normal to open food and consume it during the ballet. Although the theatre was substantially full yesterday I very quickly moved to another seat (I always scope out places to move to in the dark should there be an annoyance in my immediate area). But the spell of the Stravinsky ballet was broken and it took me a few minutes to re-connect with the (excellent) dancing.
I guess what I always find baffling about such incidents is: why would a person who is intelligent and sensitive enough to purchase tickets to a ballet or opera performance then behave in such a thoughtless manner? I suppose there is no answer to such questions.
Anyway, I will keep working on my report on the afternoon, which was Kyle Froman's last performance as a member of the corps de ballet. It should appear here shortly.