The crowds filling the park outside the New World Center in Miami Beach whenever there is a Wallcast of the concert inside are becoming so dedicated somebody needs to come up with a name for them.
Saturday we arrived a good 40 minutes before the start of the New World Symphony concert and the space within the speakers was filled with people sitting in beach chairs, on blankets, on the grass. What happened to the famous Miami tardiness?
We found a spot by one of the speaker poles on the left, away from 17th Street, and set up camp. Opening our cooler, I appreciated for perhaps the first time screw-top wine bottles. Hania went to find the ladies room and returned delighted by the conversations she'd had while standing in line.
The concert began at little before 8, with Reinhold Gliere's Horn Concerto, followed by Bartok's Violin Concerto. I had never watched a concert while eating Maltesers before, and it was quite a lovely experience. New to the Wallcast were shots of the soloist standing backstage after the piece, hearing the applause, getting ready for the return bow.
At intermission we chatted with the group in front of us, which included a German who had lived in Rio de Janeiro for many years and now lives in Brickell Village. They were eating headcheese with their wine.
The second half included Prokofiev and Bizet, both played beautifully by young violinists. In addition to our view of backstage, backstage should have a view of us - so the musicians could see the splash they're making outside. No one in the auditorium had the enthusiasm of the woman in front of us who had been drinking wine for two hours. And I hope the musicians' friends are taking pictures of their images soaring five stories high over a populous park.
"Come see us next time," the German said as we gathered our things at the end of the night. "This is our spot."
