Huge crowds turned out for two boffo evenings of concert excerpts from Puccini’s operas on Friday and Saturday in Bryant Park. I attended on a beautiful, balmy Saturday evening. Music was provided by New York City Opera, “famously dubbed ‘The People’s Opera’ by Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia at its founding in 1943.’” It’s part of the free summer Picnic Performances.
The truth is, despite the pleasure of the outdoors, the music and the performances are better appreciated as streamed online. It puts you right there. (Begin at 15:43 on the video counter.)
![Click and click again TO READ THE PROGRAM](https://www.artsjournal.com/herman/wp/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Puccini-Program-combo-enh-750-enh.jpg)
Blue vest seemed a bit pitchy but looks quite splendid and hope bank sends them next to Larned. Streaming had me waving my baguette in the air.
Yes, what a pleasure the streamed recording is! May the sponsoring bank put them on a plane to Kansas right kwik! Barring that, online will have to do. And it aint shabby. Watching it full screen puts you right there.