Just a quick note for anyone in New York. I was able to make it to the Metropolitan Opera's performance of Mozart's Die Zauberfloete last night. The acting was fantastic, the sets dazzling (if very odd), and the singing only ok. Normally, for opera, you'd like it to be the opposite way around. And I say so even if the offical Armenian party line is that Isabel Bayrakdarian, (who happened to be playing Pamina) is the greatest singer in the histories of at least fifteen galaxies (to be fair, she was perfectly fine. Just not great).

PS: the $20 standing room tickets are an excellent deal, if you have comfortable shoes.