Teatro Colon, Take Three

Right around Christmas, we learned that Teatro Colon would be putting on a few more shows during our remaining time in Buenos Aires. Unlike our two previous visits, when we saw a symphony, Handel's Messiah and a ballet, El Corsario, this one promised to be a little more light-hearted: Pixar In Concert.

I won't say any more about how fantastic Teatro Colon is, I covered it pretty well in my two previous posts on the subject.

On our other two visits, we had seats in the orchestra section, a dozen or so rows from the stage. This time, we opted for the cheap seats (everything else was sold out) in the third of six balconies. Despite the distance from the stage, the view was good, and the sound, as advertised, was perfect.

When we bought the tickets, we expected to see snippets of Pixar films projected on the big screen and accompanied by the live orchestra. We got that and much more. There were visits from many of the Pixar characters, Buzz Lightyear, Woody, The Incredibles, Sully and Mike from Monsters Inc, and Princess Mérida from Brave. There was themed choreography and fantastic renditions of Pixar tunes interpreted by world-class, beautiful voices.

Of course, all the songs performed today were the Spanish versions, which was fine for the most part. The only one I had trouble with, and simply because it's so well known, was Yo Soy Tu Amigo Fiel (I'm Your Faithful Friend). It took me the longest time to remember the English version of the chorus, sung by Randy Newman: "You've got a friend in me...".

However, for the multitude of kids in the theater, there was nothing but magic in the air.

What a wonderful gift those parents gave their children today by exposing them, in this awe-inspiring venue, to the wonders of a symphony orchestra, the gracefullness of perfectly executed choreography, and the beauty and range of emotion the human voice can express when it is used by virtuosos.

I caught Brenda surreptitiously wiping her eyes dry a couple of times. And, she might have caught me once or twice, too.Read more