Editor’s Note by Anne Honeywell I attended my first opera, Madame Butterfly, when I was five years old. I wore my green velvet dress for this momentous night out with my father, who donned his best suit. This was a planned event: “It was time for Anne to experience opera.” A big deal. I was getting to go and see where my parents went all the time—to the “opera.” What did that mean? I sat still in my seat in the grand Municipal Auditorium, ready for the “show.” Well, this performance was different from anything I had ever seen. Dad explained here and there, but to my surprise, I began to understand what was happening, even though I couldn’t understand the language. The “show” was simply beautiful. I was fortunate to grow up with an appreciation for the arts. My parents were big supporters of the New Orleans Museum of Art, The New Orleans Opera House Association (as it was known back then), the New Orleans Symphony (now the LPO), Le Petit Théâtre—and the list goes on. Every fall, our Cultural Guide (page 66) celebrates the fabulous variety of local opportunities to experience the arts, including highlights from JPAS, The New Orleans Opera, New Orleans Ballet, the New Orleans Museum of Art, The Historic New Orleans Collection and a myriad of theatre listings. Entire seasons at your fingertips. If you aren’t a supporter of the arts, give it a try. Spend the day at a museum; buy some tickets to a performance or a concert. And if you haven’t experienced live theatre or opera with a child, put it on your list of things to do. It will be memorable … for both of you. Enjoy the cultural season! Bravo to the New Orleans arts!
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Inside New Orleans