Opera in the Outfield

On Saturday, The Kennedy Center held their annual open house. They were offering free short performances of all different types throughout the day. We caught parts of a few of them. I was wanting to see one of the ballet ones that was starting just a few minutes after we got there, but the theatre was already full. And, the line was already out the door for the next one which wasn't starting until 2 hours later! I didn't see any ballet. We did get to walk around the center which is very beautiful. This 8-ft. bronze bust of John F. Kennedy sits in the Grand Foyer.

We also walked around outside the theatre. There is a terrace that faces the Potomac with beautiful views of Georgetown and The National Cathedral. There are also several sculptures scattered throughout. This one of Don Quixote was a gift from Madrid's Institute of Hispanic Culture that was presented when King Juan Carlos I visited during our bicentennial.

Later that night we attended the Washington National Opera's season opening performance of  Verdi's La Traviata. It was simulcast live at Washington Nationals Stadium on the scoreboard (and it was free!). We grabbed our lawn chairs and set up right behind 3rd base. I have no idea how many people attended, but there were literally thousands of people there. It was an absolutely wonderful performance. I know it's not the same as being there, but one thing I really like is that the camera does close-ups from angles that I wouldn't see if I were attending in person. Of course, it is a little strange to smell hot dogs, nachos and popcorn during the opera.