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Remarkable Tween Opera Fan : Notes on Kiev
Sharing a favorite memory of Ukraine on its national holiday
My husband and I scored great seats to see a production of Puccini’s “Tosca” during our brief visit to Kiev in 2017. We had a little third-tier balcony box to ourselves.
Then a woman arrived with what I guess were her daughter, maybe 14, and her son, perhaps 10. They took the balcony box next to us. I wondered if the kids, especially the boy, had been dragged to the performance by their mother and were in for a boring night.
No, the kids clearly loved the opera, especially the boy.
That performance of “Tosca” was fine but none of the cast members stood out. To be fair, they had competition for my attention. It was often drawn to the face of the boy in the next box. He was so caught up in the performance that it was a joy to watch him, his round cheek resting on his hand at one point as he observed the stage intently, his eyes bright.
My husband and I have thought often about that nice family that sat next to us at the opera in Kiev. In the years immediately after our 2017 visit to Kiev, this was a…
