As the theater darkened for the beginning of the Metropolitan Opera’s Opening Night Gala last Monday, the packed house fell to a hush as Ramón Vargas, singing the role of Alfredo in Act II of La Traviata, chased a demure Renée Fleming across the stage in her role as Violetta, and then sang of his profound love for her. The evening, offering up selections from La Traviata, Manon and Capriccio, would push the opera stars, orchestra and set changes to the limit as a lavish home gave way to a decadent ball, a grand street carnival, and an austere cathedral, before the evening closed with another dramatic domestic scene. Watching the Met in full swing, it was not hard to imagine the 1,100 shipping containers stashed in a New Jersey storage facility where the Met houses it set designs, costumes, and all the trappings of a full production.

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