La Fanciulla del West

As I've said in a handful of previous opera-related posts, opera is not an art form with which I am well-versed. I can't pick out the famous arias and place them in the appropriate masterpiece. While it's a medium I respect, it's a medium I encounter somewhat ignorantly, which makes it a tricky subject to review for blog purposes.

I can't say much about Fanciulla that would demonstrate that I know what I'm talking about, but I can say that the show is fun! Prior to this experience, I had no idea Puccini wrote an opera set in the American West. What a surprise!  I think of most operas as velvet-draped, Grecian, or Shakespearean-derived affairs, far removed from any American sensibility.  But this is a gun-slinging (so much gun-slinging!) love story with all the swagger of a traditional western. There are heavy boots, saloons, shiny pistols, barrels of gold and whiskey, bandits, and star-crossed lovers meeting on the road to Monterey.  If a John Wayne baritone had moseyed onstage, I wouldn't have been surprised.

The familiar (to Americans such as myself who don't consider themselves opera know-it-alls) setting eases an opera newbie into the experience, and for that reason I think this would be a solid choice for a first opera.  While you won't pick out any famous arias, if you listen closely you will hear the piece that inspired a lawsuit between Puccini's estate and Andrew Lloyd Webber. That alone is reason enough for the Broadway nerd to dive into this performance.

The picture above was taken during Fanciulla's social media preview night and does not do the set justice. It's a see-for-yourself set!

Minnesota Opera's La Fanciulla del West  plays from Sept. 20th- Sept. 28th at the Ordway in St. Paul.

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Northgate Brewing

Races with beer at the finish are my favorite races.  It isn't just about the beer, it's that, naturally, the people that congregate for a beer-blessed race aren't taking themselves too seriously.  They're enjoying the sunshine, they're trying a new beer, and they're proud of their shiny new pint glass.

I had the chance to experience the new Northgate Brewing taproom as they hosted the latest installment of the Minnesota Brewery Running Series. Kindly starting at 11 am (because who wants to run a 5K at 7 am on a Saturday?), the race wound around the Northeast area between Broadway and Hennepin. After just-over 3 miles, we celebrated with a pint of our choice at the soon-to-be-all-the-way-open taproom.  I tried the Pumpion, a pumpkin spice beer that probably would have been better suited for a chillier day.  But sunshine and warm weather didn't deter me from enjoying the autumnal pint.  Some may find it on the spicy, bite-y side but I really liked it.  Some pumpkin beers are so heavy, and post-race I wasn't looking for a beer I could chew.  This one was pleasantly light but still had a distinct pumpkin aroma and a cinnamon kick. Can't wait to drink it again when I'm wearing a sweatshirt, instead of sweating all over the table.

The taproom itself is laid back and cozy. It's heavy on a diner/kitchen feel, as opposed to the darker woods that some other local taprooms have embraced.  The bench seating makes it feel like the eat-in kitchen of your Cool Uncle, and I mean that in the best possible way because I love all my uncles, the cool and the less so. This is a place you could hang out for hours, happily.

The taproom celebrates its grand opening on October 10th, 4pm to Midnight. The next Brewery Run is the next day, October 11th, at Pracna on Main. Mark your calendars for a beer-centric weekend in October!

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Harry Singh's Original Caribbean Restaurant

Add this one to the list of Eat Street spots I should have explored ages ago. The jerk chicken roti (roti is a fluffier tortilla-ish bread) was full of vibrant jerk flavor and enough kick to satisfy someone who routinely bemoans the lack of heat (food and weather) in the Twin Cities. We (I test drove this spot with Laura, of One Girl, Two Cities fame) were served by the man himself, who was full of warm smiles and hospitality. This just a great spot for a satisfying, delicious, inexpensive meal.