Evening on the Town

We country mice went to the big city this week!  My Mother’s Day gift was tickets for the four of us to see “Phantom of the Opera” at the Boston Opera House!!!  And finally the day had arrived!  (All photos snapped with various cell phones.)

But the family was in for a surprise!  I had made pre-theatre dinner reservations for us at the Omni Parker House hotel in Boston. (And, yes, that is a revolving door!  Got to experience those every chance you get, because they are…well…just so fun!)

I chose the hotel because its history has a connection to the history of our town.  In the 1800′s there was a man, J.R. Whipple, who lived in and owned a creamery in our town AND owned five hotels in Boston, including the Parker House.  He was instrumental in getting the railroad (now defunct) to come to our town, so that products from his creamery: milk, cream, butter, eggs, and more, could be quickly transported to his hotels.  In my volunteer work with the town historical society, I have worked on cataloging his ledger that recorded shipments to his hotels.  His house and creamery still stand in our town.  And in the Parker House, there’s a large oil painting of the man himself.  The placard next to the painting said that at the time of his death, he was “the best known hotel man in America.”

The Parker House interior was warm and inviting with an 1800′s elegance.

The Parker House is also famous for some of its food.  If you’ve ever enjoyed a soft and buttery Parker House roll, this is where they were first served.  And it is also the place where Boston Cream Pie originated.  Conveniently, they have a pre-theatre dinner menu with entrees that are quick to prepare.  The guys had the steak.  We girls had the chicken.  And we all enjoyed the best Boston Cream Pie ever!

We then walked just a few blocks to the Boston Opera House.

We had never been here before, and from the outside it is deceptively small looking. But inside it is huge and spectacular!  It was built in the 1920′s.  But in the mid-90′s it was listed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 11 Most Endangered Buildings list.  It underwent an extensive renovation and reopened eight years ago.  A note on the restoration from the opera house’s website says, “While all the mechanical, fire protection and HVAC systems were installed to conform with modern standards, a rare assembly of old-world craftsmanship and highly-skilled trades went to work restoring sculptural plaster, gold leaf finishes, Carrara marble, paintings and tapestries, grand staircases, chandeliers, walnut and oak paneling. The restoration included replication of historic carpet, seating and silk wall panels. When the historic patterns for the silk wall panels proved too large for modern looms, a loom was custom-built to create the historic pattern.”  Here’s a glimpse at the restored grandeur:

Max’s new phone can take panoramic pictures, and he captured this view of the inside of the opera house before the performance.

Waiting for the show to start!

What a delightful evening!  The show was everything you would expect and more…fabulous singing, beautiful music from the orchestra, spectacular costumes, amazing sets, and the crashing chandelier!