6:30am car call to the airport — made this one. At the airport by 7:00am — damn good time, should have been another 15 minutes. The Delta Crown room once again refused my Board Room card. Need to remember that it really is only Atlanta, Cincinnati, and Salt Lake City.
Your basic croissant, egg, ham, cheese thingy. Not a full flight, basically slept all the way home. Didn’t bother to even watch much TV or catch up on my reading. Something about staying up until 1:30am when you have to get up at 6am.
A little lunch from downstairs, a nap, a little computer time, and it’s off to the symphony. Basic black for tonight.
Great dinner at Wild Ginger — cocktails, with a bottle of Primitivo with dinner.A round of satay order — my lamb was excellent. I had the crab/shrimp spicy salad, Joe the scallops, and Helene and Ross the duck.
Just enough time to get across the street — the first ding/dong as we walk in the doors. The guest conductor was Lawrence Renes — with special guest, Leonidas Kavakos on violin. Nice to not have Gerry conducting. Whole spiel is here. But once again, they ruined the second half — got to the Founder’s Room to find no wine, no chocolates, not even water or coffee….I did find a lot of very confused Founder’s looking like they’d just been taken to the bank for a $3,000 yearly “donation” for Founder’s Room access, on top of the $25-30,000 initial contribution. Jesus — piss off the people who are giving you serious money each year — have they lost their minds? I flew back from New York City instead of going straight to St. Petersburg for this insult?
It is looking very doubtful that I’ll even keep the visiting orchestra tickets for next year at this rate. Guess that means they have to find another $3,000 of ticket money from me — and if they don’t get their act together, Helene’s $3000 in donations for Founder’s Room is up in the air as well. She’d just as soon up her Pacific Northwest Ballet contribution.
And how do you explain the 70% audience (30% empty seats). Bad choices of programming by the Music Director. Gerry — it’s time to go before you kill this orchestra! Give it a rest after 22 years.
Invited the boys (Joe and Ross) back to the house for after show cocktails since we didn’t have any at half-time — wonder ifI can bill they symphony for rendering services they were supposed to provide. The comment from an events planner (who shall remain unnamed) also having cocktails with us was from a conversation he had with the group reservations people about an upcoming concert about all the changes, musicians upset, etc —- her response? “I am not authorized to use the phrase ‘It’s a disaster’.”
Not even the visual joys of Adam Isacone or that new mop-top cello playing hottie can make up for lackluster programming.
One Response to “Back in Seattle, and the Symphony sucks worse than ever.
Founder’s Flounder in the room.”
Yes, the Seattle Symphony has gone insane. Has been for a wuile.