Shoes Can Say A Lot, Or Maybe Not, You Decide

I Want Natalie Dessay's Shoes

This post from March 2009 was one of the most popular I ever did.

We just saw the live Met HD broadcast of Bellini's La Sonnambula at the Savoy 16. The music was beautiful although Peter felt formulaic, which is not a compliment from a composer. The performances were wonderful. The production was somewhat confusing with the opera within an opera device since the audience was never sure when they were in the rehearsal or the opera so much of the possible irony was lost. Still, it made for an enjoyable afternoon, especially as neither of us had seen the opera before. But, and this is a big but, the costume designer left me lusting for a pair of shoes.

The blurry picture accompanying the blog does not do justice to the wonderful green high heels that Natalie Dessay wore all too briefly in the first part of the opera. It is too small since it is a small portion of a larger photo. I couldn't find one with the wonderful detail hidden by the long pants that Dessay was wearing while she danced. So you may be skeptical. But make no mistake, these shoes were wonderful. I speak as one who has not worn high heels since I was in my thirties and I am now 57. I doubt that I will ever wear them again. However, if these shoes, or their close facsmile came my way, and I could afford them, I would make the effort to wear them. After all, a trip to Krannert, which would mean minimal walking, would not be out of the question. Perhaps we might (this is pure fantasy) be asked to a fancy party that wasn't a fundraiser and again I could wear the shoes and just sit all evening. Of course we don't get asked out and we don't really have friends who have parties where I would get to wear those shoes. Of course I would need new clothes to do justice to the shoes, with new accessories as well. Good thing shoes like that and the occasions to go with them are unlikely to come my way. Sad to come home from the opera not humming memorable arias or talking about the wonderful performances or still ranting about the staging but merely dreaming about a pair of wonderful green high-heeled shoes.