An opera fan in New York City just walked away with the souvenir of a lifetime, and all we can say is that we’re incredibly jealous: This Metropolitan Opera audience member just caught a foul cello.
This is so cool! That guy is officially the luckiest person ever.
The cello flew into the audience during a performance of Giacomo Puccini’s “Turandot,” when cellist Stephen Geller bowed the strings of his instrument so enthusiastically during the aria “Nessun Dorma” that it launched out of his hands and went sailing through the air and into the theater’s balcony section. Just before it hit the ground, it was snatched mid-flight by audience member Bernard Culver, a 56-year-old orthodontist from Nyack, NY, who proceeded to hoist the cello over his head triumphantly while the rest of the crowd applauded.
What can we say? Some people just find themselves in the right place at the right time.
Some people in the crowd started chanting for Culver to throw the cello back into the orchestra because Geller is from out of town and isn’t very attractive, but Culver knew that catching a foul cello is pretty much every opera fan’s dream, and he wasn’t about to just relinquish it.
“I’ve been going to the opera since I was four years old, and I’ve caught a few stray viking helmets and even part of a piano once, but this is the first time I’ve actually caught a cello,” said Culver. “During intermission, a little boy sitting near me came up to me and asked if he could have the cello and I told him to get lost. This is a real get for me, and I’m going to try to get it signed by the cellist after the show.”
Absolutely beautiful! If you’re not cheering for the good fortune of this die-hard opera lover, you officially have no soul. As the show came to an end, Culver left the opera house with the cello tied to the roof of his car. We’re so jealous that this guy was able to walk into an opera and leave with an unexpected treasure he’ll be able to show off for the rest of his life. All we can do is hope that one day when we’re at the opera, we’re lucky enough to have a foul cello fly our way as well!
