If you’re someone who casually plays an online casino game, these stories will shock you. Someone might’ve had to be really cunning as well as ruthless in the old days. After all, it would’ve been so difficult to come out of such seedy environments alive and as a winner! The folklore in poker abounds with gory images of hard-drinking men settling their scores on the poker table.

It’s not uncommon to hear phrases in them such as “dead man’s hand”. On the other hand, today’s poker games are a complete opposite of its seedy reputation. It might surprise you that even the musicians of the orchestra at the Metropolitan Opera play poker. Not in New York tonight? You prefer to play real money online casino? Check out this game, triple play draw poker, an amazing video poker game to play for free or to earn big bucks!

The Met tradition of playing poker

You might’ve heard about the rehearsal breaks and opera intermissions. They offer the talented musicians of the Metropolitan Opera or ‘The Met’ a break before their performance. This dates back as far as the 1940s, when the Met musicians played poker to their hearts’ content. They used to spend much of their downtime in the musicians’ lounge playing this game. This had become a tradition of sorts in those times.

Today, the duration of playing poker during intermissions has been reduced to around half-an-hour. What this means is that the musicians playing poker have to make some quick moves. They obviously don’t have the time to change chips during the intermission. So everything needs to be done in cash. Omaha, Texas Hold’em, Draw, and Stud are among the games that are played at the table.

The stakes involve only small dollar amounts, seldom exceeding $8. The gunslinging players of the Wild West era came dressed in holsters, boots, and cowboy hats. These opera musicians play their poker games dressed in tuxedos.

The joys of playing poker

Some of you might’ve played poker in a group on a daily basis while traveling to work. There was an article mentioning how a group played poker together during their train journeys in the 1990s. Most of the people in the train were either listening to music or reading newspapers. This particular group was the only one trying to win some cash during the trip.

For them, the commute had turned into something they would look forward to every day. Of course, these men were in their best executive suits. They held responsible positions in their respective organizations. However, they made the most of their daily commute by playing this game. The article further goes on to mention that the saddest part was getting down at the destination.

This was the time when they had to end their game and get to work. Despite the momentary sadness, there was this hope that they’ll meet again in the evening. They would then indulge in another game of poker during their ride back home.

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It has been presenting nearly 27 different operas every year. The performing company of the Met also employs several freelance musicians, dancers, actors and other performers. Throughout its history, the Metropolitan Opera has witnessed events that were of great significance. Here, we’ve listed some of them:

1. The opening of Metropolitan Opera House

The Academy of Music was an established opera house in New York during the 19th century. However, the space was too limited in private boxes for seating the new millionaires of the city. This changed with the opening of the new Metropolitan Opera House in the late 19th century.

It had three tiers of private boxes for the city’s wealthy individuals. This gave powerful industrialists like William H. Vanderbilt the chance to show off their affluence.

2. Golden Age of the Met

Singer Enrico Caruso sang for 17 years at the Metropolitan Opera House. This is considered the Golden Age of the Met. He was born in the Italian city of Naples and started performing at the opera house in 1903. When the soprano Geraldine Farrar stood on stage with him for the first time, she forgot her cue. Upon hearing his wonderful way of singing, she reportedly broke into tears.

3. Gustav Mahler at the Met

In the year 1908, Gustav Mahler began his service at the Metropolitan Opera. This Austrian composer and conductor held the baton under the direction of La Scala’s former head, Giulio Gatti-Casazza. When the latter brought in the Italian conductor Arturo Toscanini, there was some competition. Mahler eventually left the baton to Toscanini in 1910 after several quarrels.

4. Toscanini’s temper

Arturo Toscanini often yelled at his orchestra and trampled the batons. Geraldine Farrar, the soprano star in those days, clashed with the conductor while they were working on Madame Butterfly. During the argument, Geraldine told him that she was the production’s actual star. In response, Toscanini said that stars existed only in heaven! Despite this heated exchange, the two became lovers later on.

5. The first Black opera singer

Rudolf Bing became the general manager of the Metropolitan Opera in 1950. He created history when he became the first to bring in an African-American performer, Marian Anderson. Earlier, a white performer had to blacken his face to play leading opera role for a Black protagonist. This changed forever in 1955 when Marian Anderson became the first Black singer in a leading role.

6. The famed scandal

In the mid-20th century, the Metropolitan Opera presented its most expensive production, Macbeth. Maria Callas was offered the title role in this production by Rudolf Bing. Besides this, he also wanted Callas to intersperse her performance with other roles.

Despite their contractual agreement, Callas refused to oblige. As a result, Bing fired her. This scandal caught the attention of media across the world and it made headlines.

7. Relocation of the Metropolitan Opera

In 1966, the Metropolitan Opera moved to the Lincoln Center. The new hall was truly magnificent with a seating capacity of 3,900. The curtains had cords made of pure silk and weighed several hundred kilos. A couple of years later, the house had new stars entertaining the audience.

Among them were Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo. They went on to achieve worldwide fame after the took to the stage in 1968.

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Professional portrait photography makes a good use of backgrounds, lighting, and poses. There are several elements involved in this form of photography. Here we’ll talk about the essential aspects of portrait photography.

1. Background

For portrait photographers, one rule of thumb when clicking portraits is to examine the background first. Often, the background is among the most vital elements of portraits. There are many photographers who forget the fact that the subjects are a part of the environments. This is why they focus only on their subject and not on the background.

A background can say a lot about the person who is being photographed. However, there are times when it doesn’t say anything. For instance, when just a plain background is used. The essential function of a plain background is to highlight the subject’s body and facial expression.

2. Lighting

Another key element in portrait photography is lighting. Most of the aspiring photographers don’t realize the importance of light until they begin learning photography. It happens often that you see light around you every day, but you don’t quite think about its importance.

The type of light used and its direction can determine how your subject will look. Among the simple ways of choosing the best light for your portrait is to use your hand. You can then check how the light is falling on it by imagining your hand as the subject.

3. Position of your subject

One thing you must consider is how far or close from the background you want your subject to be. If your subject is closer to the background, you’ll see that the background is as sharp as your subject. If you separate your subject from the background, then the background will look blurred. For many portrait photographers, position of the subject is something they’re used to.

Then there are others who consider this the most awkward aspect of portrait photography. Standing in front of the camera can be annoying and fun at the same time. The key is to make the subject feel comfortable.

4. Using the camera

It’s important to remember that you’re the one holding the camera as the portrait photographer. The way you position your camera will determine how the portrait photograph appears after being clicked. To get the best portrait photo, you can do a lot of playing around.

Move the camera up and down, come closer to your subject, go far, or change the lenses. The idea is to try everything you can so that you utilize all the options that you have. You’ll certainly get better with experience and experimentation.

5. Choice between color and black-and-white

You can either go for color or black-and-white portrait photo. Most of the photographers prefer taking the photograph in color first. Then they decide whether they need to change it to black-and-white or not. Choosing a color portrait gives you a great deal of freedom and allows you to be more creative. You can play with different styles, color pallets, and make the best use of color theory for a greater impact.

If you go for a black-and-white portrait, you’ll have a tone that’s associated more with the past. It also enhances your subject’s expression.

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You don’t need to produce a photograph with a great degree of technical perfection in this form of photography. The main goal of portrait photography is to capture some sense of the subject’s character. Here, we’ve listed some steps that will help you take some engaging portrait photos:

1. Choose a suitable location

A portrait photograph must help the viewer know the subject better. This will only be possible if the viewer builds up a mental picture of the subject after seeing the photo. To convey the subject’s personality through the portrait, it’s essential to photograph the person in a suitable place.

An ideal location is the one that reflects the person’s character. This adds an interesting element to the portrait photo. However, the main focus of the photograph must be the person being photographed and not the place. You must also keep in mind that the background must be free from distractions.

2. Lighting the subject

If the location is a studio, you can use external lighting and reflectors to light your model. Try to get a bit more light on one side of the subject’s face for greater depth. Lighting your subject from the side is helpful in accentuating your subject’s facial features. You must not rely on the built-in flash of your camera when lighting your subject.

Lighting from the front will leave the features of the subject looking flat and uninteresting. This is because lighting the subject from the front eliminates the facial shadows. It can also cast distracting shadows in the background.

3. Shoot from a suitable distance

You must move back as far as the lens of your camera will allow. Then try to zoom in on your subject. If you shoot from a distance that’s too close, you’ll end up distorting your subject’s face. This can not only be quite distracting but also unflattering. The further back you go, lesser will be the distortion of the subject’s face, thus enhancing the portrait photo.

You can even use a telephoto lens if you have the option of changing the lenses of your camera. Such lenses reduce the distortion even further and are ideal for separating the subject from the background.

4. Capture the personality of the subject

The very first step is to know what’s the thing that makes your model unique. Once you’ve identified that particular quality or feature, you must try to capture it in your photograph. What distinguishes a good portrait photo from a not-so-good one is how well it tells the subject’s story. The best portrait photos are the ones that convey something about the subject’s personality.

You can get a natural-looking portrait photograph by getting it clicked when the subject is off guard. Most of the people automatically put on their ‘photo face’ when they’re in front of the camera. Talking to the individual you’re photographing is the best way to make him or her feel comfortable. This will put your subject in a position to express himself or herself freely. As a result, you’ll end up with a more natural photo that showcases your subject’s true personality.

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The greatest bonus is that you get the opportunity to witness the most incredible performances. Even the music is absolutely splendid. Still wondering whether to buy the tickets to the Metropolitan Opera or not? Well, let’s make it easier for you to decide. Here are some of the best reasons for buying the tickets to this opera:

1. It can be made affordable

Surprised? Well, you must’ve thought that the tickets to the Metropolitan Opera would surely empty your wallet. It can, in a way, but not if you book ahead of time. Seats in the upper balcony can be cost-effective. If you want to reduce the cost of tickets even further, opt for the standing room. Just make sure that you book your tickets well in advance before the rates go up.

2. You’ll have something to brag about

Some of your friends might be real art and culture freaks. Just ask them whether they’ve been to an opera. If they haven’t, then you can impress them by going to the opera and bragging about it. Opera is not something that most of the millennials would be excited about. Now, if you’re a millennial and you went to an opera, you can be an inspiration for them. It’s possible that you’ll have some company next time.

3. There’s something for everyone at the Met

If you’re into some epic dramas such as Casablanca and Fatal Attraction, you must see Carmen. For those who are hopeless romantics, Romeo et Juliette would be a delight to watch. Il Barbiere Di Siviglia is a comedic opera for someone who’s craving for a lighter treat. The best part of Il Barbiere Di Siviglia is that it has a happy ending.

Each season, there are 26 operas that the Met puts on. They range from comedy to tragic love stories. Every season includes over 200 performances. This gives you many options to take some time out from your busy schedules.

4. Don’t know Spanish, French, or Italian? No problem!

Just listen to the music. You don’t need to master these languages to enjoy the performance. If you still want to know what’s going on, the Met has a brilliant solution. Every seat has a small screen on it with live translation of the performance. This will allow you to understand what the performers are saying.

5. Not all operas have a longer duration

If you’re thinking that you’ll be stuck in the theater for long, choose a shorter opera. Well, there’s no denying that some operas have a longer duration than musicals and plays. What you must know is that they also typically have an intermission. Some might even have two intermissions.

There are operas that are much shorter than the Lord of the Rings movies with regards to duration. For example, Der Fliegende Hollander has a duration of a little more than 2 hours.

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This event is attended by hundreds of famed personalities from the worlds of film, art, music, and fashion. You may assume that those who never attended this event were not invited. This is far from being true. Of course, they were invited to the event, but they didn’t go for some reason. Let’s see who are the top three celebrities who never attended the Met Gala.

1. Jennifer Aniston

This gorgeous American actress and producer has received numerous accolades. They include a Golden Globe Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. She has been the highest-paid actresses in the world ever since her career progressed in the 1990s. Jennifer Aniston is the daughter of actor John Aniston and actress Nancy Dow.

Her film career began with an uncredited role in Mac and Me, which came out in 1988. Her first major role was in the 1993 horror movie, Leprechaun. Later, she achieved worldwide fame as Rachel Green in the immensely popular television sitcom, Friends. She has regularly attended the award ceremonies and occasional fashion dinners.

One of the events she never attended is the Met Gala. In fact, none among the cast of Friends has attended this event. When it comes to fashion, Aniston has never really made headlines. Nevertheless, her fans must be waiting for the day when she appears at the Met.

2. Meryl Streep

She is considered the best actress of her generation and is among the most beloved Hollywood stars. Meryl Streep is a versatile actress with an amazing accent adaptability. One regularly sees her on the awards season circuit. Besides these events, she only makes an appearance for promoting her movie or television series. Streep prefers to stay away from limelight most of the time.

During her career spanning more than four decades, she has won many accolades. This includes several Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations. She has also won 3 Academy Awards and 8 Golden Globes. Despite all these accolades, she has never attended the Met Gala.

3. Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie had made her screen debut alongside her father as a child. A decade later, she was seen in the film Cyborg 2. Her first leading role was in the 1995 release, Hackers. She gave a brilliant performance in Girl, Interrupted. For her role in the film she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Then came her role as Lara Croft in the 2001 film Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. It established her as a leading actress in Hollywood. When it comes to making a statement on the red carpet, she’s no stranger. The only red carpet she’s never been to is the Met Gala.

Her fans would definitely love to watch her at this event in the future. They’ll surely be delighted to see her in some custom-made outfit from Atelier Versace or Elie Saab.

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Her two coffee table books are titled I am Dandy and We are Dandy. These books consist of a diverse collection of photographs. They’re of men from different parts of the world for whom dressing is an art.

How she was affected by the lockdown

In an interview, she talked about the projects she was working on before the lockdown was imposed. She also narrated her experiences during the lockdown. Before everything was shut down, she had just began working on her third book. It was with Nathaniel Adams, her co-author for I am Dandy. Her third book is titled Rare Bird and is all about women who have an extraordinary style.

These are the women who create their identity through their own unique style. She had just started photographing intensely and was completely engrossed in her work. One day, it became more apparent on her way home that the lockdown was going to get heavier. Rose felt that it was time to stop shooting and isolate herself completely. She had to postpone her third book temporarily as a result.

What kept her inspired during lockdown

Rose recalls that she began watching photographers who were doing some remote shooting. Damien Frost was the one whom she admired the most. He is a photographer based in the UK and had released a book of portraiture in 2016. The name of the book is Night Flowers. It contains more than 300 portraits of individuals who are a part of London’s alternative nightlife.

They include drag kings and queens, Goths, cabaret performers, transgenders, and queer people among many others. When most of the people where quarantining, Frost had begun doing remote portraits. He spent his time photographing people through FaceTime.

About her projects during lockdown

After getting some inspiration from the techniques of Damien Frost, she began exploring alternative possibilities. She had a projector with her and she started having zoom sessions with people. In the space that she set up, she would project the figures. As a part of this experiment, she played really well with the technique and process.

Rose felt as though her creativity was unlocking once again. She wanted something legitimate to focus on. So, she named her project Far Away Nearby. The best thing about this project was that she could capture her subject anywhere. It didn’t matter where they were in the world.

The lessons she learned during lockdown

Rose admits that she has always been a very social individual. She believes that it’s important as humans to stay connected with people. However, she also learned during the lockdown how much she was able to stay alone. The best thing that she learned is remote shooting.

It allowed her to connect with people as well as to stay productive. She didn’t need much lifestyle changes as she was already a freelancer. She feels that freelancing and doing some creative work prepared her for those tough times.

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1. There exists an armory in the Metropolitan Opera House

Just like the front spaces of the Metropolitan Opera House, the spaces supporting the productions are impressive as well. However, they’re located far beyond the side-stage and backstage areas. The back of the Metropolitan Opera House covers three levels below the stage. This includes the 16,400-square-foot storage and rehearsal rooms of the C level.

If you’ve ever been to the opera, you’ll know that the productions involve a lot of fights. So, to fulfill this requirement, the Met has an armory. It’s located at the back of the house. From its floor to the ceiling, the armory has weapons of different types and belonging to different eras. Among them are swords, cross bows, guns, and a wrecking ball from the medieval times.

2. There’s a climate-controlled archive inside the Met

In the mid-20th century, Mrs. John DeWitt Peltz entered the basement of the old Metropolitan Opera House. She was there as a volunteer. Upon entering the basement, she saw boxes of materials that had been lying there haphazardly for many years. She saved these boxes and organized them.

Among her finds were the minutes from the meeting of 1880. The board had decided to build a new opera house in the meeting. The Met established a department for archives formally in 1981. Robert Tuggle was given the responsibility to run this department.

The climate-controlled archives area stores artist ledgers, costumes and plenty of other items. The programs in the archives date back to 1883. The costumes are in boxes with large donations that came from the families of Kirsten Flagstad and Enrico Caruso.

The Metropolitan Archive has been working on the digitization of its archives in recent times. Led by the Director of Archives, Peter Clark, the Metropolitan Opera archives is located on level A.

3. The stage of the Met is among the world’s most technologically advanced

The stage of the Metropolitan Opera House is truly amazing! It allows for the most complex staging and productions. This stage even makes it possible to preset scenery and elevate it to different levels. It measures 80×101 feet and is one of the world’s most technologically advanced.

For the entrances and exits, there are 50 trap doors on the stage. It also allows for the appearance of scenery and props from below. The stage’s working areas on the side and the rear are equipped with wagons. They’re platforms that can go sliding onto the main stage with complete sets.

These sets can have a height of up to 30 feet. The rear wagon has a turntable with a diameter of 57 feet. While rolling forward, it can complete one revolution in two minutes. The fly system is located at a height of 110 feet above the stage. This is equivalent of a 10-story building.

At the stage level, the backstage measures 43,000 square feet. The side stages take up another 23,300 square feet.

4. The world’s largest repertory opera house

The renowned American architect, Wallace Harrison, was the one who designed the Metropolitan Opera House. He had also designed the Rockefeller Center. The Metropolitan Opera House Company was in favor of an opera house that had a more traditional design. The other architects of the Lincoln Center wanted a Modernist look. Harrison had to examine about 42 other possible designs.

The structure that finally resulted from this was, in fact, a combination of competing interests in the design. The Metropolitan Opera House has curved Modernist lines, which would remind you of the TWA Flight Center. This repertory opera house can accommodate more than 3,900 people.

None of the repertory opera houses in the world can accommodate so many people. Let’s take the Sydney Opera House as an example here for the sake of comparison. The Sydney Opera House can seat an audience of up to 2,679. So, now you have an idea of the seating capacity of the Metropolitan Opera House.

5. The original location of the Met was not Lincoln Center

The idea for the foundation of The Metropolitan Opera came from a group of affluent individuals. They were the Roosevelts, the Vanderbilts, and J.P. Morgan. The opera was an alternative to The Academy of Music. You can find the details of The Academy of Music in The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton. It was an exclusive concert hall for the elites of New York City.

The downtown was gradually becoming less desirable. The city’s industrial class wanted an opera house that was located close to their new mansions. They also wanted this new opera house to be welcoming to them. The Metropolitan Opera’s first house opened on the 39th Street and Broadway in the year 1883. This was right in the middle of the bustling theater district. This was truly an opulent opera house.

Its architect was Josiah Cleveland Cady. He was the one who designed the American Museum of Natural History’s south face. A fire occurred in the opera house, which led to a complete redesigning of the interior. This time, the design came from the famous American Beaux-Arts architecture firm, Carrere and Hastings. They created a golden auditorium with a proscenium. It was the largest in the United States at the time.

6. Reversed paintings of Marc Chagall

Inside the Met are two large paintings that hang above the Grand Tier level. One is The Sources of Music and the other is The Triumphs of Music. These paintings were the creation of Marc Chagall. He was commissioned to create these two murals. He was also given the responsibility of creating the design of the set and costumes. This was for the 1966 production of The Magic Flute by Mozart.

The two murals created by Chagall were hung in reverse placement accidentally. Jackie Wullschlager notes in her biography of Chagall that it was not what he had intended initially. Despite this, he liked the paintings in their reversed state. He, in fact, preferred it more than his original vision.

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It is due to some brilliant photography that you get to see how the famous historical figures looked like. Besides, you also have records of some significant events in the form of photographs. Today, you’ll find different genres in photography with many of the photographers specializing in one particular genre.

There are different themes that the photographers can delve into. Many of the great talents in recent times specialize in portrait photography. Here, we’ve presented some of these exceptionally talented photographers of the contemporary world.

1. Cindy Sherman

Her breakthrough is Untitled Film Stills, which is a collection of her black and white photographs. They are about the typical roles of women in the performance media, especially in B-movies and arthouse films. Born Cynthia Morris Sherman on the 19th of January 1954, this American photographer mainly specializes in self-portraits.

They showcase her in a variety of imagined characters in many different contexts. She used large prints and color films in the 1980s, with a greater focus on facial expression, costume, and lighting. She received a MacArthur Fellowship in the year 1995. In 2013, she received an honorary doctorate from the Royal College of Art, London.

2. Nadav Kander

Nadav Kander was born in the Israeli city, Tel Aviv. His father was a pilot who flew Boeing 707s for El-Al. After his father lost his eye, his parents moved to Johannesburg in 1963. Kander started clicking photos with his Pentax camera when he was 13 years of age. He had purchased this camera with the money he had received on his Bar Mitzvah.

The photographs that he took until he was 17 had the same qualities as seen in his recent works. According to him, they were quite unaccomplished, but carried the same sense of quiet and unease. He was printing aerial photographs working in a darkroom after his drafting into the South African Air Force. It was then that he took a firm decision that he wanted to be a photographer.

In 1986, he moved to London, where he now lives with his family. Today, he is a photographer, director, and artist, known for his landscapes and portraiture. In 2015, he got an honorary fellowship from the Royal Photographic Society. He is also the winner of Prix Pictet award.

3. Rose Callahan

Rose Callahan is the exclusive photographer for the style blog of the Metropolitan Opera, Last Night at the Met. Since 2013, she has documented diverse personal styles through this blog. The focus of this photographer and director has been on character-driven portraits of celebrities. They celebrate the transformative power of style and individuality.

She is also the author of two coffee table books called I am Dandy and We are Dandy. They contain portraits of men from different parts of the globe who turned their dressing to an art. Published by Gestatlen, these books have been co-authored by Nathaniel Adams. Callahan also works with commercial clients such as Mastercard, Random House, American Express, Levis, and Rosewood Hotels.

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