The October 19 Concert at Benaroya Hall

Since Carolyn was going to be out of town, I decided to take the opportunity to go to the symphony as Romana, the first time since the AIDS concert several years ago.  I invited my friend Cassie to accompany me to the concert of Russian and French light classics.

I picked up Cassie on Capitol Hill; then I drove down to Benaroya hall.  Together, we entered the crowded promenade at the Northeastern corner of the facility.  Cassie lives full-time, so all this is nothing new to her, but for me it was another test of my developing skills.

No one gave us any unusual glances as we calmly walked to the entrance to the larger hall.  The usher took our tickets without question and we were in.  I made no attempt to keep quiet, but just to speak in middle registers.  Cassie's voice was lower than mine, but did not seem to attract attention either.

The journey to our seats on the third-floor balcony was uneventful.  We always politely replied when spoken to.  I remained so calm that I was actually able to relax an enjoy the concert.

I only braved the women's restroom before and after the concert; I was just not brave enough to stand in line during intermission.  In past times, I would use the men's room if at all possible, but now I pass way too well for that to be an option.

Finally, the concert ended and we departed.  It was a successful outing without any surprises.  At all times people treated us as if we were two (tall, broad-shouldered) women attending the concert.  I do not know how often we were read (if at all).   Asking people was not an option, but we did not observe any unusual glances.

Thursday, April 01, 2004