Performances/merwid.jpg

My next theater experience in Lafayette was an Operetta. I performed as a member of the chorus in the Merry Widow, put on by Lafayette's newly formed Opera de Lafayette. It was also at the Long Center and all of the guests were served champaign in the Lobby. We also had champaign at cast parties. I was not used to drinking champaign and I actually got a little unsteady on my feet towards the end of the evening. My apartment was just around the corner and two blocks down 9th Street and a fellow cast member, a mathematics professor from Purdue, gallantly walked me home. He held my elbow the whole way and was a perfect gentleman.

The gorgeous music, dancing the waltz, and learning how to curtsy and wield a fan in true courtesan fashion were some of the fun parts of this beautiful production.