The perfection of order ascending from chaos and Opera Night at Justin’s

It was just about all I hoped it would be: our community showing up for something different, a little quirky, an event that sets us apart, helps define our personality. It was something that few of us had thought of, few of us think of, hardly any of us really know anything about, but there was everyone getting into the experiment.

It was Opera Night at Justin’s Kitchen.

A couple women in ballroom gowns; a guy in a tux and his hair just right; a chef in his chef clothes and kerchief, who takes a few minutes and come out of the kitchen and sing.

You should have been there. You had to have been there. Who from here is going to hop over to some big city and go to an opera? Not many of us. Who’s going to sing opera? Almost, but not quite, none of us. But what about Opera Night at Justin’s? A bunch of us. The place was packed.

We procured our beverages, wait staff brought us salads and then pasta and sauces.

The sound system came on -- the accompaniment for any number of numbers. The singers took up their operatic presentation. It doesn’t matter what the words are you don’t understand; it doesn’t matter that you don’t understand the part of the story they’re filling in; it doesn’t matter you don’t know who their characters are.

It matters that their voices are great and true and they are singing in earnest and they sound perfect and you are there up close to them, following along.

And while they sing and you are swaying with their lilt, rising out of your chair for the crescendos, smiling just from the perfect sound of them and clapping and shouting your appreciation... behind you a waiter is explaining the menu to some newcomers, a patron at the bar is yelling his drink order, the kitchen staff is clanging away, here and there is the banter of those taken with gab ... all going on while the singers pull this beautiful music from inside themselves. Order out of chaos. In other words, just perfect. Oh, we love visiting big theaters and venues to listen to and watch professional performers. But there’s a lot to be said for a small community making its own fun, its own mark, its own way.

So congrats to Justin and to Yuba Sutter Arts and all who were involved in this local happening. It was brilliant and we only hope there will be more.

Our View editorials represent the opinion of the Appeal–democrat and its editorial board and are edited by the publisher and/or editor. Members of the editorial board include: Publisher Glenn Stifflemire and Editor Steve Miller.