Apr162020April 16, 2020June 17, 2023by Glitterchicken

Dallas Arts District

Posted in Architecture, Art & Literature, Music

When you mention Dallas, sports fans think of the Cowboys, foodies think of barbecue, and history buffs and conspiracy theorists think of JFK’s assassination. But does anybody think of art? How about architecture? No? Well, keep on reading. On a business trip to Dallas, I stayed an extra day to seek out wonders existing right under my nose that I had been too busy working to explore. That’s when I discovered the Dallas Arts District and was totally blown away. Where else can you find world class museums, concert halls, and performing arts venues conveniently located on 19 contiguous city blocks spanning 68 acres? Nowhere. Dallas is the only place in the world where it exists.[1] And it gets better. On those 19 blocks, there are no less than 5 buildings designed by Pritzker award-winning architects.[2] Luckily, I had time to visit 2 of these architectural marvels because I went to the Arts District on a Friday when many of the museums offer extended hours. More about that later . . .  

My first stop was the Crow Museum of Asian Art of The University of Texas at Dallas, an unexpected treasure trove in light of the fact that the Dallas- Fort Worth region does not have a sizeable Asian-American population (5.9% compared with 13% in New York City and 35.8% in San Francisco). Why the Crow? I’ve been fascinated by Asian art ever since I was a kid, captivated by the Zodiac signs on my Chinese restaurant placemat. Although the size of my wallet is considerably smaller, I can related to the museum’s founders, Trammel and Margaret Crow, who fell in love with Chinese art forms on their first visit to China in 1976 after the death of Mao Zedong when decades of icy relations with the U.S. were just beginning to thaw. Over the years, the Crows amassed a sizable collection of Chinese art and as their travels expanded, they added more pieces from Japan, India, and other Southeast Asian countries. With the expert assistance of Clarence Shangraw from the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, they selected the pieces forming the core of the permanent collection and achieved their goal of “bridging the gap between East and West” when the museum opened its doors in 1998.

The Crow Museum defines Asia as “endlessly diverse, and not of one place, time, or idea.” Visitors are invited to explore these dual themes of infinity and timelessness, which cease to be abstract concepts when you’re eyeballing objects originating from a kaleidoscope of cultures that literally spans the centuries. For example, contemporary Japanese ceramics of all shapes, colors, and sizes were exhibited on the ground floor, meticulously carved jade sculptures from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) were exhibited on the upstairs level along with a mid-career retrospective of Master Shen-Long’s innovative ink paintings, and a Japanese bell from the Edo Period (1615-1868) hung silently in the courtyard, waiting in vain for a monk to come along and strike it with a wooden mallet. In honor of its 20th anniversary, the building underwent a multi-million dollar expansion in 2018,[3] which doubtlessly reinforced the Crow Museum’s nickname “the Jewel Box of the Dallas Arts District,” alluding to the fact that the true gems can be found within, not unlike the Three Jewels of Bhuddism.[4]

On to my second stop–the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center, aka “the Meyerson”–which opened in September 1989.[5] As you enter the lobby and pavilion, you walk along a curving pathway connected to other curving pathways constructed of what appears to be miles of Italian travertine (30,000 square feet as a matter of fact). A physically commanding experience that’s absolutely breathtaking, you feel like you’re inside a giant nautilus shell straight out of Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, with all paths leading everyone to the central chamber where the Eugene McDermott Concert Hall is situated.[6] It’s worth noting that internationally renowned architect I.M. Pei who designed the Meyerson wasn’t thrilled with the concert hall’s shoebox design that had already been decided upon by the trustees, complaining that it was “too conservative” for him to fully express himself. This illustrates what I believe to be a universal truth–when a modicum of restraint is imposed upon an artist, the resulting work is more impressive. Like when you put a small gift in a large box to instill a sense of mystery and surprise, Pei was prompted to “wrap another form” around the shoebox, giving birth to the curvilinear shape that he later admitted “created excitement in that space.”[7]

Conservative or not, audiophiles will tell you there was good reason for the concert hall’s shoebox design. Celebrated acoustician Russell Johnson succeeded at his goal to create a acoustical masterpiece similar to the Vienna Musikverein and the Amsterdam Concertgebouw.[8] According to Jaap van Zwede, Dallas Symphony Orchestra Music Director: “The acoustics of this hall are comparable to the great concert halls of Europe, and of the world. The concert hall itself becomes an instrument of the orchestra, and we adjust to it and fine tune our music-making to the hall week after week.”[9] I stayed to watch the performance of resident master percussionists, D’Drum, and I can attest to the sonorous quality of the room; instead of all the vibrations rising up to the balcony like heat waves, it sounded like the musicians were down in the Orchestra Section with me, minus the unsettling reverberations that usually accompany the beating of drums and banging of gongs at close distance.[10]  

While the Crow Museum was intimate and contemplative and the Meyerson was impressive and arresting, my 3rd stop–the Nasher Sculpture Center–was open and engaging.

The brainchild of Raymond & Patsy Nasher, “The Nasher” as it’s affectionately called by locals, is one of the first museums in the world exclusively dedicated to modern and contemporary sculpture. Interestingly, it was the Nashers’ travels to Mexico sparking their interest in pre-Columbian art that led to their lifelong love of modern sculpture–a profound example of how learning about the ancient past can produce a deeper appreciation of the present. Besides the popular rotating special exhibitions, the Nasher showcases more than 300 works by Giacometti, di Suvero, Matisse, Rodin, Picasso, Moore, Serra, Miró, Kelly, and other luminaries.[11]

Now, I’m not an expert in modern sculpture–far from it–but in my humble opinion, the building housing the Nasher collection and the adjoining sculpture garden are the real masterpieces. You don’t have to give a fig about sculpture to thoroughly enjoy being there.  The immense 54,000 square foot building designed by architect Renzo Piano has an archeological aesthetic, like a classical ruin in an urban landscape, undoubtedly a homage to the Nashers’ early interest in antiquities. But the building’s design is scientific in a functional sense too; it utilizes the best features of the surrounding natural environment to help visitors see and appreciate the sculptures while neutralizing the harsh effects of the merciless Dallas sun. The ivory, low-reflective Italian travertine tiles provide lightness and minimize glare, the glass walls facing the street and garden connected by 500-foot long corridors provide unobstructed views and create the illusion that the sculptures are floating in mid-air, and the glass roof shielded by a sunscreen comprised of hundreds of cast aluminum shells that looks like a giant honeycomb is a miraculous feat of engineering–direct sunlight is kept out so that only the soft northern light can come in, making the forms and textures of the sculptures really pop.[12]

The 1.4 acre sculpture garden designed by California landscape architect Peter Walker[13] (who co-designed the World Trade Center Memorial in NYC along with architect Michael Arad) is a further extension of the Nasher Center’s successful harmonization of art and nature. As you stroll through the grounds, the sculptures appear to sprout out of the earth like the trees, making you wonder if they have roots too. Many of the sculptures are bigger than you are, creating a Alice-in-Wonderland fantastical effect until you get up close to them and they lose their intimidation factor when you see they’re just big hunks of metal like the playground equipment you climbed on when you were a kid. Maybe that’s not the best example, you’re thinking, because you’ve witnessed jungle gyms and monkey bars viciously attack an unsuspecting kid (maybe you, perhaps?) but if you get out of your own Pandora’s box of traumatic memories and pause for a moment, was that painful bloody mess really the sadistic intent of the equipment or just the unfortunate result of the kid acting recklessly without thinking? The moral of this story is no matter how fun it might look, don’t go climbing on the sculpture at the Nasher, or bad things will happen.

What you can do, though–and I can’t recommend this highly enough–is go to the “Til Midnight at the Nasher” event that occurs every 3rd Friday night during the warm-weather months. You’ll find the building and the garden bursting with activity. Indoors, people are nibbling delectable tidbits at the Wolfgang Puck-inspired café and wandering the corridors learning about the sculptures from enthusiastic, informed employee guides like Heather Joy (don’t know if it’s her real name or a nom de plume, but it’s on her name tag and it fits her perfectly). Outdoors, talented local musicians and DJs perform for a lively crowd. When it gets dark, folks lounge about on the lawn watching films projected on an inflatable movie screen.

Bring your wife and kids! The films are totally family-friendly (they were showing the O.G. Men in Black the night I visited). Or bring your date! I recall passing by a couple kissing under one of the majestic willow trees bordering the reflecting pool. Behavior that would have seemed tasteless and vulgar if it had happened in a bar was somehow touching and aww-inspiring in that sublimely romantic setting. Just don’t bring your wife and your date simultaneously; that would go in the same category as climbing on the sculpture – no bueno. But if your wife is your date, well then you’re Superman and you can do whatever you want.

Or just bring yourself! Take off your shoes and feel the cool grass on your toes and listen to the cricket chorus after a long day of absorbing the sights and sounds of art being created on a great big Texas-style scale.

But first things first, procure a cold beverage and a snack! I sidled up to one of the outdoor satellite bars, eschewed the fancy schmancy signature cocktail, and ordered a can of my favorite local brew, the Dallas Blonde from Deep Ellum Brewing Co.[14] The bartender, a charismatic chap named Chris, talked me into purchasing popcorn sprinkled with the Chef’s special seasoning; he didn’t have to twist my arm because it was packed in a retro-style bag with a smiley clown face printed on it. I was probably 6 years old the last time I saw something like that at a carnival, only this bag was 3 times the size; it was Texas, after all . . .

Now, the popcorn in that bag couldn’t possibly have been coated with crack, but it might as well have been because I couldn’t stop stuffing it in my mouth. Standing there swilling beer with pieces of popcorn falling out of my face, I decided it would be a great time to interview the bartenders for this blog. (Yeah, I’m that smooth). Luckily, Chris’s cohorts, Carolyn and Matthew, were equally charming and gregarious and didn’t seem to mind. When I asked each of them what they liked best about working at the Nasher, they all said similar things: the chance to interact with people from all over the world, the diversity of the visitors, and the positive feedback they get. Judging from our brief conversation, they seemed genuinely grateful for the opportunity to work in such an idyllic environment, ripping to shreds the stereotype about the younger generation’s inability to interact with other humans face-to-face.

Speaking of human social interaction (remember that?), when I reflect back on that balmy Friday evening I spent at the Nasher, it seems even more like the Garden of Eden now that we’re prohibited from gathering in groups due to the fear of spreading the coronavirus. Only time will tell how long our current fall from grace will last. Meanwhile–if we have the means–there’s nothing preventing us from pledging our financial support to special places like the Dallas Arts District that exist for the purpose of bringing us together to appreciate the beauty of our shared human creative legacy.

[1] Formore info about the Dallas Arts District, see https://www.dallasartsdistrict.org/about/and for a quick visitors’ guide, check out https://www.visitdallas.com/things-to-do/trip-ideas/24-hours-in-the-dallas-arts-district.html

[2] Forsome great photos of the “Fabulous Five,” see https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/tour-the-dallas-art-districts-amazing-architecture

[3]https://www.nbcdfw.com/entertainment/the-scene/crow-museum-celebrates-20-years-with-new-name-and-expansion/262267/ Incredibly, after all this money was spent on renovations, admission to the Crow Museum is still FREE. That’s right, you don’t have to pay for time travel throughout the Asian continent, although a suggested donation of $7 for adults and $5 for seniors is greatly appreciated.

[4] Dharma, Sangha, and Bhudda. See https://www.lionsroar.com/trusting-the-three-treasures/

[5] Fun fact: Ross Perot donated $10 million for the right to name the building in honor of Morton Meyerson, former president of Electronic Data Systems and former chair and CEO of Perot Systems, who worked with the Dallas Symphony Association for 10 years to create a home for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.

[6] The “counterpoint of curves” phenomenon is discussed in this fitting tribute to I.M. Pei, for creating the Meyerson Center, in the wake of the architect’s death. See https://www.dallasnews.com/arts-entertainment/performing-arts/2019/05/23/thank-you-i-m-pei-for-the-meyerson-symphony-center/

[7] Pei’s remarks were featured in this better than-adequate bordering on good Wikipedia article. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morton_H._Meyerson_Symphony_Center   

[8] Johnson was so enamored with his creation that he requested to be buried in the Meyerson, and while urban legend says that Johnson’s remains are interred within its walls, the facts say otherwise. https://www.dmagazine.com/frontburner/2009/11/russell-johnson-sought-meyerson-burial/

[9] For more about theacoustical qualities of the Meyerson, see https://www.dallasartsdistrict.org/performing-arts/meyerson-symphony-center/ And if you want to geek out on the acoustics of concert halls generally, see http://www.angelfire.com/music2/davidbundler/acoustics.html

[10] Do yourself a favor and checkout D’Drum. Percussion is so much more than drums. Even drums are so much more than drums. http://www.pureddrum.com/

[11] For more info about the Nasher sculpturecollection, see https://www.nashersculpturecenter.org/visit/about-the-nasher

[12] For more about the Nasher’s marvellousarchitecture, see https://www.nashersculpturecenter.org/Portals/0/Documents/Learning-Resources/Nasher-Architecture-Resource-Advanced-Level.pdf?ver=2020-03-06-174152-353

[13] Apparently, Walker got into a big brouhahawith a neighboring building owner, claiming that the glare from the Museum Tower is burning his vegetation. https://www.dallasnews.com/arts-entertainment/architecture/2013/06/13/landscape-architect-peter-walker-who-designed-the-nasher-garden-strongly-denounces-museum-tower-and-its-ownership/

[14] Here’s what the Beer Advocate had to sayabout Deep Ellum Dallas Blonde. The dude who said it tastes like what heimagines a skunk’s ass would taste like must have had a bad one. https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/27403/83956/


Apr302019April 30, 2019June 19, 2023by Glitterchicken

Longwood Gardens

Posted in Architecture, Nature

My great-grandfather wore a fedora and a pinstripe suit. My great-grandmother wore a floral print dress, a fur stole, and a black hat decorated with white loops of ribbon that looked like macaroni. They stood in front of a circular fountain bordered by fields of tulips. Behind them were brick walls, more fountains, and a row of trees. “Our relatives back in Italy probably thought this is where we lived,” my Aunt Mary chuckled as she handed me the photo, which was obviously not taken in my great- grandparents’ tiny backyard. “What is this place?” I asked. “Longwood Gardens,” she told me, “down near Delaware. It was owned by the DuPonts, a really rich family from Wilmington. It’s open to the public now. Mom & Pop used to take us there every Easter.” I scrutinized the photo, absorbing every detail before announcing: “I’m gonna go there someday.”

My fascination with Longwood Gardens started with that old family photo when I was just a little girl and it hasn’t ended yet. I’ve visited Longwood Gardens countless times with family and friends or alone with sketchpad in hand. And not unlike a love affair, every time I enter that familiar terrain, I exit with a new discovery.

Turns out good old Aunt Mary was right. Longwood Gardens started out as the weekend residence of the DuPont family from 1906 until 1954. Pierre S. DuPont originally bought what used to the be the Peirce family homestead in order to save the adjacent old-growth forest (known as Peirce’s Park) from being chopped down by lumberjacks. But it didn’t take long for P.S. DuPont to recognize the property’s potential, and it became his lifelong labor of love. By 1914, he had laid out the 600-foot-long Flower Garden Walk, begun hosting his famous June garden parties, and installed the Italian-inspired Open Air Theatre, thereby starting Longwood’s tradition of live music and dance performance that continue to this day. P.S. DuPont fed his passion for horticulture by first expanding the courtyard of his home (the Peirce-DuPont House), into a conservatory[1], and eventually building the elegant Conservatory that opened in 1921 and still functions as the crown jewel of the estate. Apparently, it was P.S. DuPont’s childhood dream to build a greenhouse that is open to the public.[2]  Not only has his dream been realized on a grand scale, but the Longwood Gardens of today is so much more than a big greenhouse filled with exotic plants. Renowned for its excellence in horticultural research and development, Longwood hybrids such as the Victoria water-platter[3] are sought after by collectors worldwide.  Longwood Gardens is also an ecosystem consisting of a vast arboretum, two lakes, a waterfall, and a meadow, all of which provides valuable habitat for many native species and serves as a stage for wildlife conservation and land stewardship efforts, often in conjunction with local universities. The bluebird houses in the meadow are a prime example.[4] Furthermore, Longwood Gardens is an educational institution in its own right, offering courses for professional horticulturalists, programs for K-12 students or college interns, and continuing education classes for professionals and hobbyists in a wide variety of fields, such as floral design, horticulture & gardening, landscape design, and creative arts.[5]

But most visitors are totally unaware of everything going on behind the scenes at Longwood Gardens. They’re coming to see the show. And what a phenomenal show it is!

It’s easy to understand why my great-grandparents ritually took the family to Longwood Gardens at Easter time because this is when the verdant landscape of Southeastern Pennsylvania really springs to life. If you visit Longwood during the Spring Bloomsseason that lasts from the last week of March through the first week of May, it’s like a Hollywood red carpet parade of over 245,000 bulbs! Early in the season, you’ll be greeted by glory-of-the-snow, winter-aconite, and crocus. . . the golden narcissus is next to arrive. . . and finally (trumpet fanfare) . . . the tulips . . . row after row of candy-colored tulips cover the Idea Garden grounds, in adjacent squares evocative of a Mondrian painting. Their glorious cups bobble slightly when their stems wave in the wind, creating a breathtaking ripple effect. When standing amidst their splendor, you can totally get whytulip mania wreaked so much havoc on the Dutch economy in the mid-1600s.[6]

The abundance of graceful flowering trees such as Japanese Cherry (early in the season) and Dogwood (in the middle of the season) is another reason why so many visitors flock to Longwood Gardens for Spring Blooms, but I wouldn't want you to think Spring is the only time to go! Like Vivaldi’s famous concerti, all four seasons at Longwood Gardens offer something spectacular.

The Summer months at Longwood are known as the Festival of Fountains. Inspired by his trips to Italy, Mr. DuPont had several elaborate fountain gardens constructed on the grounds, all of which have been lovingly maintained in accordance with his vision. The star attraction is the recently renovated Main Fountain Garden.[7] Every day, at multiple scheduled times, 175-foot tall plumes and 1,719 swirling jets of water dance to the rhythm of the music. In the evening (Thursday through Saturday), you’ll be treated to a gorgeous multi-colored illuminated performance. As if that weren’t enough, staggered throughout the season, there are 6 shows combining the dancing musical fountain display with fireworks![8]

Now, I’ll clue you in to the less obvious but no less beautiful fountains you should check out if you visit during the Festival of Fountains. The Italian Water Garden, built in 1927, with its terraced slopes and sparkling water reminiscent of diamonds, is one of the most romantic spots on the property.[9] The bench under the shade of the tree is the perfect spot for kissing. (Or meditating upon the meaning of life. Or applying mosquito repellent. Whatever strikes your fancy). If you’re happily hiking through Peirce’s Park, head Eastward down the path to the Sylvan Fountain, an idyllic woodland oasis tucked away in a grove of bottlebrush buckeye (Aesculus parviflora). If you’re puttering around in the Conservatory, take a moment to play in the Children’s Garden fountains, where even grown-ups are allowed to splash around and get wet.  Go ahead and stick your head under the rain curtain; it's so refreshing!

The highlight of Autumn’s Colorsat Longwood Gardens is the Chrysanthemum Festival, the largest display of exhibition chrysanthemums in the U.S. In the Conservatory, you’ll be amazed at the sight of over 17,000 chrysanthemums that Longwood’s expert horticulturists have painstakingly nurtured and trained into all kinds of crazy shapes such as spirals, shields, columns, orbs, and pagodas. Taking center stage is thejaw-dropping “Thousand Bloom Chrysanthemum,” a horticultural marvel measuring nearly 12 feet wide and taking 2 years to grow, created by cultivating a singlechrysanthemum plant to produce 1,000 or more uniform evenly spaced blooms according to an ancient Japanese method known as Ozukuri.

There are precious few growers in the world skilled at the technique of training a Thousand Bloom mum, whereby a team of trainers must meticulously pinch and tie the chrysanthemum plant to a wire frame designed by an architect that can be adjusted as the plant grows. Then, they must arrange the blooms into a dome shape and train the plant to achieve as many blooms as humanly possible. Longwood’s team is led by Yoko Arakawa, who travels frequently to Japan to train with master chrysanthemum growers.[10]

In homage to Japanese culture and aesthetics, every Autumn, the entranceways and hallways of the Conservatory are festooned with brightly-colored paper lanterns and this year in the Ballroom (on October 26th& 27th) there will be special displays and demonstrations of Ikebana and Bonsai, which are not just ancient Japanese art forms but also Zen Buddhist spiritual practices.[11]

While the Chrysanthemum Festival is nothing short of a miracle that looks like something only the Oompa-Loompas could have created, you cannot fully appreciate Autumn’s Colors without putting on your down vest and stepping outside to view nature’s great masterpieces: the reflections of the towering trees in the 2 spring-fed lakes that once served as jumping-off points for Pierre S. DuPont’s boating parties and the wide expanse of the grassy meadow ringed in fiery red, orange, and goldforest, the perfect spot for plein airpainting or sketching.

Unless you’re a local who’s grown accustomed to maddening traffic congestion due to the throngs of visitors coming to and from “A Longwood Christmas,” you might be surprised to learn that Winter is by far the most popular season to visit Longwood Gardens. After strolling the grounds, where over 500,000 twinkling lights magically transform the grounds into a Winter Wonderland, you can warm up with a cup of hot cocoa at the terrace café while listening to the joyful sounds of carolers at the entrance. You’ll find the Conservatory packed from floor to ceiling with evergreen trees and wreaths creatively decorated in accordance with a single theme, such as birds, ice, or France, just to name a few. After playing the guess-the-theme game, you can sing along to the sounds of the season at a Longwood Organ holiday concert.[12]

While it’s easy to see how A Longwood Christmas has become a beloved tradition for many regional families and a “must do” on the bucket lists of visitors from around the globe, the Orchid Extravaganza in late Winter (Jan. through March) attracts serious horticulturalists, photographers,and plant lovers alike. Admittedly, we have made it our tradition to visit Longwood every year during the Orchid Extravaganza when outdoor temperatures are still too cold for trees to bud and bulbs to emerge from the earth, but the heated 4-acre Conservatory is teeming with life and bursting with color. It looks like the Oompa-Loompas were hard at work again!

Nearly 5,000 blooming orchids of many varieties (including Phalaenopsis, Cymbidium, Cattleya, Dendrobium, and Paphiopedilum) are amassed into giant hanging orbs, massive panels, and cascading curtains. Orchids drip down from ceilings, cover walls, encircle benches, and spring forth from containers, creating that feeling that you are enveloped by them. Longwood’s talented team of growers intersperses other stunning flowering plant species into the display to add richness and depth; enormous lilies and vibrant anemones are staff favorites (and ours). If you visit in early March, don’t miss the rare Himalayan blue poppies (Meconopsis ‘Lingholm’) that Longwood’s gardeners force to bloom using an artful technique. But beware these flowers are so alluring that they act as a magnet for humans! Don’t be surprised if you find yourself fixated to the point where you have trouble pulling yourself away. You won’t be the first person whose phone runs out of juice because you can’t stop taking pictures of the blue poppies, trust me; it happened to me and my friend.

Now, for some visiting tips geared to specific audiences. First, for children of all ages and the kids in all of us, don’t miss the Children’s Garden in the Conservatory; it’s whimsical animal sculptures and delightful water features provide an oasis of enchantment that’s open year-round. You’ll also want to check out the Garden Railway (open during Autumn’s Colors and A Longwood Christmas). Another fun game to play is to ask for a Gardens Map when you get your ticket for admission, and then once you’re inside, see if you can find the 3 treehouses on the grounds (1 of them is easy to find, but the other 2 are hidden in the woods). The topiary garden is fun too; the bushes are trimmed into cool animal shapes, like Alice in Wonderland.

And now, for the adults. You can’t find a more picturesque and tranquil setting to soak up a live music or dance performance. While some concerts (such as the Longwood organ) can take place during the Fall and Winter months, most of the action happens during the Summer Performance Series, where rising stars or established artists take the stage in the Open Air Theatre. This year’s lineup features Leslie Odom, Jr. of Hamilton fame, Roseanne Cash, and BalletX.  The annualWine & Jazz Festival, a 2-day event that occurs the 1st weekend in June, is also immensely popular. Tickets for these summertime events sell out super quick, so be sure to make your reservations well in advance.

For all the craft beer aficionados, Longwood boasts a beer garden that will make you wriggle in your lederhosen. If you’re feeling traditional, you can sip on a signature draft brew designed especially for Longwood by local favorite Victory Brewing Co. while munching on a Bavarian soft pretzel, but if you’re in need of something meatier, you can choose from a selection of pizzas, burgers, sandwiches, and bratwurst (of course). All the while, you can stargaze while listening to excellent live music ranging from roots rock to gypsy jazz to progressive bluegrass to Caribbean steel drums. And if you’re not into the whole beer thing, you can buy French wine for $9 a glass. What’s not to like? Note that the beer garden is only open, weather permitting, on Thursday through Saturday nights from 5:00 to 9:00 pm (May 9th – Aug. 31st) and from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm (Sept. 5th – Oct. 26th).

Last but definitely not least, for those explorers among you (like me) who enjoy wandering far from the madding crowds, ask for a Gardens Map when you purchase your admissions ticket, and go to the Chimes Tower, the Grotto, and the “big loop” trail bordering the outer edges of the Meadow Garden. In these serene, seemingly private spaces, you can pause for a moment of gratitude or prayer, or just simply reflect on the boundless beauty of nature.

[1] All you history buffs, be sure to visit the Peirce-DuPont house, which has been converted into a charming museum featuring a film and walk-through exhibits on the life of Pierre S. DuPont and the creation of Longwood Gardens. The original courtyard conservatory, which is home to some fabulous old plants and fat lazy cats, has been lovingly preserved and maintained.  https://longwoodgardens.org/gardens/peirce-du-pont-house

[2]For more information on the grand Conservatory, see https://longwoodgardens.org/history/1916-1926

[3]For a behind-the-scenes look, including videos, of the debut of the Victoria ‘Longwood hybrid’ water-platter at the Philadelphia Flower Show in 2010, see https://longwoodgardens.org/blog/2010/02/03/longwood-water-platter-ready-for-flower-show-debut

[4]For more about Longwood’s bluebird program, seehttps://plantexplorer.longwoodgardens.org/weboi/oecgi2.exe/INET_ECM_DispTour?TOURCODE=BLUEBIRD

[5]For more on the plethora of Longwood’s educational offerings https://longwoodgardens.org/education

[6]The Dutch Tulip Market Bubble, aka “tulip mania,” during the Dutch Golden Age, was one of the most famous market booms and busts of all time. At the height of the craze, the rarest tulip bulbs traded for as much as 6 times the average person’s annual salary. For more details,see https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/dutch_tulip_bulb_market_bubble.asp

[7] Tolearn more about the $90 million Main Fountain Garden renovation project, visit the Historic Pump Room & Gallery at Longwood Gardens or see https://www.pennlive.com/gardening/2017/03/fire_on_water_longwood_gardens.html

[8] Bearin mind that the daytime and evening fountain displays are included in the cost of Garden Admission, but the Fireworks & Fountains shows require an extraticket. Due to their popularity, advanced reservations are highly recommended. Don’t forget to bring your own chairs and/or blankets and start packing up your stuff before the finale or it could be Christmas by the time you leave theparking lot. If crowds and kids aren’t your thing, just forget about it and watch the video; you can thank us later.

[9] The layout of the Italian Water Garden is remarkably similar to the one the DuPonts saw at the Villa Gamberaia near Florence. Pierre S. DuPont planned every detail of its design from the sculptures to the hydraulic calculations.

[10]For more about the Chrysanthemum Festival, including a time-lapse video of the creation of the Thousand Bloom mum, seehttps://longwoodgardens.org/events-and-performances/events/chrysanthemum-festival.

[11]For the NYT perspective on The Rise of Modern Ikebana, see  https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/06/t-magazine/ikebana-japanese-flower-art.htmland for an interesting take on why people treat their Bonsai trees like children, see https://qz.com/quartzy/1550988/theres-a-good-reason-bonsai-growers-think-of-trees-as-their-children/

[12] Composed of 10,010 pipes divided into 146 ranks, The Longwood Organ is the largest Aeolian organ ever constructed in a residential setting. Pierre S. du Pont had it custom-designed in 1930, and it remains in Longwood’s Conservatory, where each year the best and brightest young organists compete for prizes before a panel of esteemed judges in an International Organ Competition. The top prizewinner takes home the Pierre S. duPont First Prize of $40,000, the biggest cash prize of any organ competition in the world. For information about the 2019 competitors, see https://longwoodgardens.org/international-organ-competition/2019-competition/competitors


Apr302018April 30, 2018July 9, 2023by Glitterchicken

Metropolitan Opera

Posted in Architecture, Music

You’re literally enveloped in red velvet. The walls are red velvet. The floor is red velvet. The seats are red velvet.[1] You feel like you’ve just stepped inside an enormous beating heart and you’re a blood cell, instinctively falling into the pulsating rhythm of all the other cells coursing through the arteries (the hallways), the auricles and ventricles (the grand staircase), back into the body (your seat) and maybe even venture out onto the balcony (the lungs) overlooking the communal fountain in the plaza.[2] At every twist and turn, you think you’re going to bump into somebody. That’s because the building’s design fosters a cascading flow of humanity that spills out and collects in pools on each level where co-mingling is unavoidable. Magically, there’s just enough space for you and everyone else. . .

You’re in the Metropolitan Opera House, which hearkens back to an era of elegance when gentlemen wore hats and ladies wore gloves and stockings. You can totally picture James Bond sidling up to the bar in his white tuxedo flanked by two femme fatales.[3] Although it recently celebrated its 50th birthday, this is the “New Met.” The original building at 39th and Broadway didn’t have enough backstage capacity to handle the massive set pieces and technology required to create the larger-than-life spectacle that audiences were demanding, so the Met directors hired Wallace Harrison to design a gargantuan new opera house as the centerpiece of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

The New Met’s opening performance on September 16, 1966 was the world premiere of Samuel Barber’s Antony and Cleopatra, choreographed by Alvin Ailey with sets designed by Franco Zeffirelli, featuring the phenomenal Leontyne Price in the starring role. In the audience was everybody who thought they were somebody.[4] RFK and his wife Ethel were there. So were Teddy and Joan Kennedy. Lady Bird Johnson (the First Lady at the time) arrived with the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand Marcos, and his wife, Imelda, who wore a hand-sewn gown made from pineapple fibers embroidered with pearls and a fan-shaped pearl-studded tiara.[5]

Arrive an hour early to give yourself plenty of time to explore the building in all its voluptuous glory and splendor. Don’t think for a moment they’ll let you linger after the final curtain. The ushers do a marvelous job of herding the masses out the doors like bouncers at closing time. In the basement level (where you’ll also find the coat check), the walls are lined from floor to ceiling with black-and-white photos of all the legendary opera singers who have performed at the Met over the years. On the side of the stairway opposite the coat check, there’s a fantastic portrait and sculpture gallery honoring superstars such as Enrico Caruso and my personal favorite, Placido Domingo, who is still performing and conducting at the Met, 50 years after his first Met performance in 1968.[6] And on the Grand Tier level, don’t miss the two enormous murals painted by Marc Chagall called The Sources of Music and The Triumph of Music, which are estimated to be worth $20 million.[7]

Word of warning - you know how you’re supposed to wear protective eyewear when looking directly at the sun during a solar eclipse? Well, the same thing could be said about the crystal chandeliers in the lobby.[8] They’re like stars exploding in space, which is basically a nuclear reaction.[9] The human eye has not evolved to witness anything supernova bright. Put on your shades before you look at them. No one warned me, and I swear my eyesight has been permanently damaged as a result.

Whether you’re an opera fan or not, you should try to visit the Met at least once in your lifetime because it’s an unforgettable experience. The acoustics are so sensitive that you can hear the singers beautifully from the higher levels of the Dress Circle and Balcony. In fact, many seasoned opera goers prefer these seats because the sound travels up in the same way heat rises. But if it’s too inconvenient and/or cost-prohibitive for you to endure the ordeal of NYC, where it feels like a giant vacuum cleaner is sucking money out of your wallet at supersonic speed, there are some excellent alternatives.

For the low low price of FREE, you can listen to the live broadcast of every Saturday matinee performance at the Met on practically every classical music station in the U.S. and Canada.[10] Celebrating its 87th season and currently sponsored by Toll Brothers, it’s the longest-running live classical music broadcast in the U.S. and arguably the best. Producer Mary Jo Heath and commentator Ira Siff are a treasure trove of information. They provide you with background knowledge on the composer, libretto, and production details of the opera you’re about to hear, which gives you physical and historical context. Better yet, they conduct interviews with the performers during intermissions, which gives you an intimate understanding of the emotions, motivations, and challenges they encounter as they literally breathe new life into their roles, thereby deepening your appreciation of this centuries-old art form.

As if that weren’t enough, since 2006, the Met has been streaming the Saturday matinee performances live in HD at 2,200 cinemas in 70 countries around the world! You can check the Met’s website at https://www.metopera.org/season/in-cinemas/ to find out of these HD broadcasts are being shown at a theater near you. I can’t recommend this experience highly enough, especially if you’re new to opera. For a fraction of the ticket price, you will get a birds-eye view of the performers, ornate costumes, and lavish set pieces down to the last detail. I sat in the front row during the HD broadcast of Madama Butterfly starring Kristine Opolais and I could see her bare toes peeping out from under her gown, the beads of perspiration between her eyes and her epiglottis quivering in her throat. I kid you not. The actual Met audience who were literally in the same room with her couldn’t possibly have felt as close to her as I did. During intermissions, the camera keeps rolling, so you get to see all the frenetic backstage activity. And you get the added benefit of watching Mary Jo interview the performers. The actual Met audience doesn’t get exposed to any of this, which makes you feel special while you munch on your popcorn and raisinets. You’re at the movies, so you’re comfy. But you’re also at the opera, so you’re oh-so-sophisticated. It’s two different worlds colliding into one perfect dramatic storm where it’s okay to cry, even if you’re a man. It’s dark. No one will know.

[1] You have the sensation that the ceilings are covered in red velvet too, although they probably aren’t.

[2] I highly recommend stepping outdoors. For some unexplained reason, Opera season takes place during the cold weather months.  After hours of sitting around in hot dry air that’s already been breathed in and out hundreds of times by hundreds of people, that cool fresh air feels so freakin’ good. Ok, it’s NYC air so it’s not really fresh but compared to the oxygen-depleted air inside the Met, when you take a deep breath, you will feel like singing the 4 Non-Blondes Song to the people at the fountain “Hey, Hey, Hey What’s Going On!”

[3] Even 007 would gasp at the prices, though. A glass of sparkling wine cost $18.00 and this is just Domaine Chandon, not expensive champagne. Oh, and you don’t get a glass flute either. It’s plastic.

[4] Except for Jackie Kennedy. Reporters waiting on the stairs were disappointed when the former First Lady didn’t arrive escorted by Samuel Barber as expected. She was in Boston entertaining British students who were the first to receive scholarships awarded in honor of her late husband. Always seeking to avoid the spotlight that followed her everywhere, she spent the rest of the weekend in Cape Cod. For a reprint of the Met opening night report written by Nancy Johnson and published by the New York Daily News on Sept. 17, 1966, see http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/theater-arts/metropolitan-opera-house-opens-drawing-socialites-1966-article-1.236102

[5] Boasting a shoe collection of over 3,000 pairs, Imelda Marcos was symbolic of the extravagant excess of the ruling class in a country where 80% of the population was living below the poverty line.

[6] Domingo was a last minute substitute for Franco Corelli in Adriana Lecouvreur opposite famed soprano Renata Tebaldi. Since then, he opened the Met season 21 times, surpassing Enrico Caruso’s record by 4.

[7] For more details, see the New York Intelligencer article The Met Borrows Against Lobby Chagalls at http://nymag.com/news/intelligencer/55026/

[8] The chandeliers were donated by the Austrian government as a token of appreciation for U.S. assistance via the Marshall Plan after WWII. I’m not convinced they weren’t purposefully trying to blind us and take over the world.

[9] If you want to geek out on the chemistry and life cycle of stars, check out http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/add_aqa/stars/lifecyclestarsrev3.shtml

[10] For example, there are 10 radio stations in Alaska broadcasting the Toll Brothers broadcast of the Metropolitan Opera matinee every Saturday. Who knew there were 10 classical radio stations in Alaska?