Friday, December 15, 2017. I have two choices for entertainments tonight. The first is to partake in an NPAS performance on the Tammany Trace in Covington. The second is to squire Mary Ann to the annual Messiah performance by the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. We attended it last year and loved it. We pretty well loved this one, too. But the theme this year is to perform all the many variations in the Handel-authored pieces that can conceivably be performed. That makes for a very long performance, and here it was. One of us has a limited tolerance for long classical performances. The four soloists kept the music interesting. But one of them had my jaw hanging down in astonishment. Soprano Brandie Sutton let loose some high notes that were breath-taking. I can't remember having heard a more thrilling act of capability and taste. The LPO musicians also seemed to find her peaks thrilling. The bio has her singing all over the world, and I can certainly see why. After the performance, MA and I drill through the throng that filled the Roosevelt Hotel's lobby. Our target--Domenica--was equally busy. We were glad to see that pizza has returned to the restaurant, after having disappeared due to a lack of pizza crust flour a week ago. We have the pizza Calabresi--a peppery red sauce concoction. And the famous tagliatelli, made with rabbit. That was already plenty enough food. If there has been any deterioration in the eats here, it doesn't show. Domenica. CBD: 123 Baronne (Roosevelt Hotel). 504-648-6020.
