Audience of One

Tonight's fare was Stravinsky, Tchaichovsky, and Citizen Cake.
I can't remember ever having a more enjoyable evening.

Alice brought her daughter and sone-in-law to the symphony. I've only seen Alice at one other performance all season, and this was the first I've met her daughter. Mattie is a lovely, quiet girl.

John Goldman was on hand to congratulate MTT on being awarded a Grammy Award for his recording of Mahler's 7th. It was a very glamorous moment, and MTT took the opportunity to thank everyone in a genuine, gracious, and appreciative way that gave us each a share in the pride of such an achievement.

For performers of any kind, without an audience it's just psychosis.

Dinner tonight featured Will's Balls - a mozzarella and artichoke risotto fritter - which I chose to have with greens (I was given a lovely spring mix, roasted sunflower seeds, and a delicate vinagraitte) and then Will's tagliatelle with a duck confit ragu. There were roasted baby yellow beets for added color, flavor and texture. Dessert was a new one: warm chocolate chibouste, tonka bean ice cream,with cocoa beans and junipero sauce.

I am working on a plan to provide tickets for Friends of John McGehee. Rather than give blindly, I would like to administer donation amounts that correspond to seats in the house. I will have to learn how these items are counted. Ideally someone would approace the box office the day of a performance and inform the staff that they are a friend of John McGehee. If there are tickets available, my friend can have his or her pick and the charge will be debited to my account. The tricky part is to keep the account on the "tax deductible" side for me. Would it be possible for the House to simply cooperate and throw some decent soul into an empty? Perhaps there can be an arrangement whereby the House recovers its costs and then puts the remainder of the ticket price to a 'Greatest Need' use.