Inspired by Edmond Rostand’s 1897 romantic comedy, Cyrano de Bergerac, this opera season saw the October world premiere of Michigan Opera Theater’s Cyrano by Company Founder and General Director, David DiChiera (with librettist/director Bernard Uzan) at the Detroit Opera house. (oh look! It's Leah Partridge as Roxane! We <3 her!) While poking around the Michigan Opera Theater’s website, OC had a few extra minutes to peruse their "Secret Love Letter Contest", which had taken place earlier this month.
Readers were encouraged to emulate Cyrano & Roxane, by sending-in their most original, anonymous love letters for a chance to win first prize: two box seats to tonight's performance of Cyrano at the Michigan Opera, a limousine escort, and dinner @ the DOH Cadillac Café. The deadline has passed earlier this month, and a winner has already been announced. However, you can find the winners, finalists, and all entries on their website. Most poems were yawningly predictable with syrupy, calorific quotes such as, “The essence of your sweet smelling cologne is intoxicating”. laaaaame. However, others were mind-bendingly insane, such as one found in finalist's poem called, “Let me be your Yoko Ono”.
Here is an excerpt from poet “Mr. Deadeye Eddy”, who although lost the contest, is clearly the biggest winner:
[...]"How nice it would be to get all dudded up and go to the opera with you.
For you, I would wear my best flannel shirt - you know, the one with the sleeves."
Mr. Deadeye Eddy is a graduate of the prestigious C. Thomas Howell Memorial Middle School, and now teaches at Lynn Aloysius Belvedere University.