h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I think it's stretching a point to call an episode of "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" an opera. But what do I know?

Modern opera can be an ordeal to sit through. "Bluebeard's Castle" is truly grim. I haven't heard or seen the opera based on "Of mice and men," but it can't be especially happy to sit through, given Steinbeck's subject matter.

On the other hand, there are some surreal elements in modern operas. "Love for three oranges" is an example. It's got a nifty march, too, as well as a prescription for depression: laughter. I heartily approve!

Repopulating France after the First World War is an interesting theme for an opera.

I should have acquired "Cunning Little Vixen" for my collection (I have 140 operas all told), but who knew this particular one would show up in one of the Post's quizzes? Now I'm going to wonder what that contralto woodpecker sounds like. I will never enjoy peace of mind until then.

Ha! 'Windstorm in Bubbleland' has been performed as an *opera*. In an *opera festival*. Sung by *opera singers*. So it is an *opera*.

http://pittsburghfestivalopera.org/41-2019-season/310-windstorm-in-bubbleland

And a sample:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J30TFGlXoIk

I would gnash my teeth, but I'm not fond of the pain that would result.

Amazon has DVDs of the TV episode in which the opera premiered, but that's not the same performance as the Pittsburg Festival Opera production, which had its opening night 16 days ago.

When will CDs be available?

As soon as I hear, I will let you know.

If I had known it was that easy to get a spurious opera produced, I would have sent out copies of the ones I've written, notably "Nunsmoke" and "The Enchanted kazoo."

Anyway, I knew enough of the answers in that quiz to make educated guesses about the ones I wasn't sure of. In the past, you've chided me for announcing that I wasn't going to look up the answers. Alas, I'm caught in a bind. My father always scolded me for looking up the answers when I was doing crossword puzzles. Maybe I'm just destined to go for wrong answers rather than look things up. My own original, creative wrong answers. "Canticle for Leibowitz" was based on a misunderstanding of a shopping list.

yeah, I"m cheerfully if wrongly creative.