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CHERISHED TEDDIES 182966 OLGA FEEL THE PIECE HOLD THE.. $17.96

BUKOWSKI TEDDY BEARS- OLGA GRIEGORIEWNA $15.00

★ BAD TASTE BEARS OLGA AND BABUSHKA RUSSIAN DOLL PARODY $59.13

Cherished Teddies – OLGA ~ Rare with Purple Squirrel $5.00

CHERISHED TEDDIES “OLGA”GIRL WITH TREE,BUNNY,DEER B44 $25.00

OOAK Giraffe Mozart 8″ by Olga Schlegel $130.00

Cherished Teddies Lim.Edition Laplander Series OLGA $25.00

CHERISHED TEDDIES “OLGA LAPLANDER LIMITED MIB 182966 $59.13

Opera With Popcorn

A major cultural war is raging as I write these words, a war over the future of one of the great art forms. That art form is opera, which the advertising-industrial complex seems to have adjudged unworthy of survival.

It is classist, they assert. It attracts fat singers, too—although for the life of me I don’t see why a fat opera singer is any more unattractive than a fat middle schooler, of whom we see droves every day. And the kids can’t even sing.

Fortunately, the opera companies and their supporters (including me) have decided not to go gentle into the bad night marketing experts have foreseen for this wonderful part of our cultural heritage. Led by the famed Metropolitan Opera and the distinguished San Francisco Opera, they have taken the war to selected cineplexes, both in America and abroad. Their secret weapon: HDTV productions of great operas, shown on the screen in your favorite movie complex.

I do not, by the way, exaggerate in calling this a “secret” weapon. At least in the Lehigh Valley, very little seems to be made of these presentations, either by the theaters that are carrying them or by arts journalists you would expect to take notice. There was at least one ad somewhere—I learned of it only by hearsay—and an announcement on a conscientious public radio station. Maybe there was notice on other public radio and television outlets; but where I live I can only receive one station.

A friend and I managed to learn that the San Francisco Opera HDTV series would be shown at the Carmike Cineplex, on Catasauqua Road. I hate to mention them by name, since they seem to have neglected their duty to advertise these offerings. On the other hand, at least they’ve been carrying them.

Having ascertained that the great French opera “Samson and Dalila” was about to be featured at Carmike, my friend and I decided to go and experience HDTV opera firsthand. And we did.

How was it different from going to the opera house in New York or Philadelphia?

In many ways, some good, some bad, some indifferent. It was, to begin with, a WHOLE lot cheaper than buying a ticket to the Met and rambling on down to New York City. Score one for the good side.

Then too, here you are allowed to buy popcorn and a drink, if you like, and munch and sip your way through the entire performance. We did not do that, but I found it a nice, egalitarian option. Call this another good thing. It’s not available at the Met.

On the negative side, we arrived early and were treated for a while to an outpouring of Led Zeppelin. That, actually, was the type of thing I had been hoping to get away from. When I complained about it afterward, an employee replied that they had had to do that to make up for the loss involved running the opera series. But in fact if the series were being promoted many more people would have come than the handful who showed up, and they could have run it at a profit.

As to the opera itself, we had never before seen it in this way. And there were, of course, some adjustments to be made. The lead singers, Olga Borodina and Clifton Forbis, are on the large side; so it was at first disconcerting to see them two or three times life size. And we can also bear witness to the fact that opera singers sweat, something I don’t suppose we had thought about before.

But the drama caught us up. By the time Samson brought down the Philistine temple at the end of Act III, we almost jumped back to avoid the falling column drums and bricks. It was, all in all, an amazing experience.

My advice? Force Carmike to run the rest of the series at a profit. Call them up to see what other operas are available. Pick one, pack up your friends, and show up for one.

Let’s win this culture war.

Oleg Cassini Clear Crystal – Conic Square – Salt and Pepper Shaker $17.95 Oleg Cassini designs are classy and stylish. As the official designer for First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy he earned worldwide recognition. This extraordinary and elegant set of Conic Square Crystal Salt & Pepper shakers add ambience and finesse to your space. The Crystal Salt & Pepper Shakers measure about 3 inches Tall. (Instructions for caring for your crystal inside)…

OLGA’S KITCHEN Cushioned Comfort Anti Fatigue Padded Throw Area Rug Kitchen Decor Mat featuring Herb, Olive, Garlic, Oil $29.95 Comfort mats make a great addition to any space! Relieve leg, knee, hip and back pain caused by standing on hard surfaces for long periods of time….

Anton Chekhov with Moscow Art Theatre group Photo Mugs Anton Chekhov, Russian writer (1860-1904) at the centre of a group of people from the Moscow Art Theatre — Constantin Stanislavski on his right, Olga Knipper (Chekhovs wife) to Stanislavskis right, Lilina Andreyev to Chekhovs left (all identified on original). On this occasion he read his play The Seagull to them. ….

Cirque du Soleil – Varekai $12.09 Even by the high standards of Cirque du Soleil, Varekai is outstanding. While this artsy circus often aspires to weave a narrative through its spectacular events, in Varekai that story (about a winged boy who falls to earth and falls in love with a caterpillar girl) is as delightful and engaging as the acrobatic feats–which is saying a lot, because these feats will leave you agog. Acrobats j…

Carmen Jones $4.53 Oscar Hammerstein II’s all-black revision of Bizet’s “Carmen,” brought to the screen by Otto Preminger, showcases Harry Belafonte as a handsome soldier whose love for sexy, conniving Dorothy Dandridge leads him to murder. Pearl Bailey, Olga James and Diahann Carroll also star in this classic, a much-requested film at Movies Unlimited. 105 min. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtracks: English Dolby Digi…

Tchaikovsky – Eugene Onegin / Fleming, Vargas, Hvorostovsky, Gergiev, Carsen [Metropolitan Opera 2007] $14.06 The Tchaikovsky masterpiece is revived in a stunning production by the Metropolitan Opera, boasting Renee Fleming and Dmitri Hvorostovsky in the leading roles. Renowned Russian conductor Valery Gergiev leads the performance after a special introduction given by Mikhail Baryshnikov. 156 min. on two discs. Widescreen (Enhanced); Soundtrack: Russian; Subtitles: English, French, German, Italian, Spani…

Evita: 15th Anniversary Edition [Blu-ray] $14.99 After more than a decade of false starts and several potential directors, the popular Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice musical finally made it to the big screen with Alan Parker (The Commitments) at the helm and Madonna in the coveted title role of Argentina’s first lady, Eva Perón. A triumph of production design, costuming, cinematography, and epic-scale pageantry, the film follows the rise of Eva P…

Beautiful Blonde From Bashful Bend [VHS] $19.98 Preston Sturges’ last US film….

Scars of Dracula [VHS] $9.98 VHS Tape…

Olfa Touch Knife TK-4B Color Black Model 9537 $1.57 OLFA Touch Knife TK-4B Model 9537 is a pocket-sized, multi-purpose knife that features a stainless steel blade, blade slide lock and hanging hole to easily slide on to your keychain. Can be used for a number of purposes and easily fits in your pocket, purse, desk or glove compartment. Commonly referred to as “the handiest little knife in the world.” Color is Black. Ideal for use in arts, graphics,…

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