Sunday at the Opera, I listen to a 1960's performance of Lucia di Lammermoor whilst my Philisine influenced family watches Hogan's Heroes...

The family is in Junction City or rather is on the way back from Junction City and I am listening to opera.
Specifically to quote the program which was included with the 10.5" reel of tape, Lucia di Lammermoor as presented by the Theater Arts Opera Association, Eugene Fuerst, Musical Director, Lincoln High School Auditorium, November 1960, under the auspices of the Bureau of Parks and Public Recreation, Portland, Oregon. I assume this was what lead to the Portland Opera but I don't know. I'm pretty low brow and don't want to contaminate my Google Search cookies with culture
My goodness how the mighty have fallen. I'm not sure what passes for culture in Portland now. Whatever it is probably features Mayor Adams on Mr. Garrison's bicycle invention...

I have the Magnecord 728 professional reel to reel connected to the Dynakit PAS-2 preamp and am playing recordings made by Muddyvalley's father. They sound amazing to my imperfect Audiophile understanding. Except for that fellow with the Croup or Influenza in the second row. The Doc should have smacked that guy upside the head. Kind of like when I "bootlegged" The Flying Pig Fiddle and Banjo Folks playing "Bonaparte's Retreat" a few years ago and did not realize the how close lady with the poor sense of rhythm attempting to play the washboard was to the microphone.
I know Holden Caulfield thought the adults were are a bunch of phonies but Portland must have been pretty interesting way back then. Folks were trying to learn to appreciate the arts. They knew they were all one step out of the woods and the wheat fields and wanted to appreciate "culture."
Drat! The tape busted or came unspliced. I suppose I will not trot down to the Amity Drugstore, or Oregon Stationary and pick up some more splicing tape...I'll give the generic Scotch tape a try.

Ok, I spliced the sucker with cheap tape and we are back in business. Since I do not understand Italian I must only guess at the main parts of this opera.
I am pretty sure it follows the standard dramatic for as observed by most tween drama's that I have seen.
The girl's dad wants her to marry this guy, she is in love with some other dude who is either a peasant (with a heart of gold and drive and determination) or a sworn enemy.
This is followed by a major misunderstanding, a car chase, a minor misunderstanding that will derail the resolution in the final act but could also be used to pull off a clever switcheroo, otherwise known as a "plot twist."
If it has a traditional ending everyone will kill themselves-and take a long time to do it with much impassioned singing.
If it is a modern tween movie they will put on a show and the best friends will learn that they can depend on each other and celebrate diversity, along with a gender confused sidekick...
I shall now look this up and see if I am right!
I should note that the family is now home, the door has been closed to the music room and they are watching Hogan's Heroes.
My wife shared that she had in fact been to a number of Opera's and Chamber Music performances as well as the Symphony and did not need a musical education. I countered with the fact that I had seen the Knox brothers and The Born Again Bluegrass Band as a child but that argument got me nothing but a declaration that, "We are Watching Hogan's Heroes..."
Sometimes I feel a bit under appreciated...