All About Trey

Slaughter on Tenth Avenue!

So last night I went to the Kennedy Center to see the ballet. One of my Navy friends who works at the White House got us some tickets. And not just tickets, but tickets for the Presidential Box. So when the President is out of town (he's currently doing the G8 thing trying to sabotage any real climate change initiatives), they are up for grabs by White House folks. So she got a total of 4 and invited me to come. Well of course my plan to leave work at 5PM is just pipe dream, and I'm cursing the traffic in DC at 630PM as I'm trying to get home. I was supposed to be at the Kennedy Center, at 645PM, in a suit. I get home, throw on a dark blue sports coat that sort of matches the dark blue pants I'm wearing and race to catch a cab. Only 15 minutes late I arrive sweating like a pig. So attractive. The ladies (all Navy Officers) are all dressed to the nines. So we make our way up to the second floor where we are quickly stopped by an usher. Access to this level is very restricted. And then our tickets have to be checked again before the open the red velvet rope (!) to let us enter the Presidential Box. Let's just say it's very nice. A little sitting room for you to have some pre-show drinks. The Navy runs the Presidential Mess so it's fully stocked with little splits of champagne, sodas, water, peanuts, and candies. So we proceed to kick back some of the champagne. It was pretty nice.

Well the show starts and we've got the first 4 seats in the box. There's a couple who has joined us also, but they are in the second row of seats. The first ballet is Scottish Symphony or some such thing and while the ballerinas are in tights and tutus, the bellerinos (?) are in pseudo traditional Scottish garb to include kilts. Well with all of the spinning, it was clear that they were not truly going Scottish. Which I think is a good thing. I'm thinking going commando and doing ballet is an accident waiting to happen. So the first dance ends and we go back to our sitting room for more champs and all of the girls are talking about the dancer who fell. And I'm like, someone fell? Well the other couple comes in and sure enough the woman makes a comment about the falling dancer and the husband is just like me, "Someone fell?" So apparently us guys just didn't get it.

There were two more dances and then the finale, Slaughter on Tenth Avenue. I'm sorry, but what kind of name is that!! Anyways it's sort of an American ballet piece set in prohibition and it's all about a gangster who's supposed to shoot the lead dancer. It was very flapper/vaudeville-ish. Complete with jazz hands! But funny. Of course by the time it was over, I was more than balleted out. So I came home and promptly crashed!

Anyways, it was fun and definitely a Washington experience.

Labels: DC

posted by Trey @ 8:17 PM