Florida Grand Opera Distracts Shoppers From IKEA Weekend Hell (Video)

Have you been to IKEA on a weekend? If so, you know about the crushing crowds, the slow march through winding pathways until you find the perfect piece of build-it-yourself furniture for your crappy apartment, and the crushing defeat of making it all the way to the warehouse only to...

By Ciara LaVelle

October 15, 2012

This year, make your gift count – Invest in journalism that matters!

We're in the midst of our End-of-Year fundraising campaign, and we have until December 31 to raise $15,000. Our work is funded by readers like you who make voluntary gifts because they value our work and want to see it continue. If you value our work, please make a contribution today to help us reach our goal.

Contribute Now

Progress to goal

$15,000

$2,200

Audio By Carbonatix

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "19274298",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2",
          
          "watchElement": ".fdn-content-body",
          "astAdList": [
            {
              "adType": "rectangle",
              "displayTargets": "mobile"
            }
          ]
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17482312",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1",
          
          "watchElement": ".fdn-content-body",
          "astAdList": [
            {
              "adType": "rectangleLeft",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet"
            },{
              "adType": "rectangleRight",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet|mobile"
            }
          ]
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482310",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25,
          
          "watchElement": ".fdn-content-body",
          "astAdList": [
            {
              "adType": "rectangleLeft",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet"
            },{
              "adType": "rectangleRight",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet|mobile"
            }
          ]
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482313",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "12",
          "maxInsertions": 25,
          
          "watchElement": ".fdn-content-body",
          "astAdList": [
            {
              "adType": "leaderboardInlineContent",
              "displayTargets": "desktop|tablet"
            },{
              "adType": "tower",
              "displayTargets": "mobile"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]

Have you been to IKEA on a weekend? If so, you know about the crushing crowds, the slow march through winding pathways until you find the perfect piece of build-it-yourself furniture for your crappy apartment, and the crushing defeat of making it all the way to the warehouse only to discover the thing you want is out of stock until 2014.

(If not, be advised: Go on a Tuesday. At, like, 11 a.m.)

So the poor, misguided souls shuffling through storage solutions and 80 different items named "Malmo" were understandably delighted to be distracted from the sad specter of their afternoons by Florida Grand Opera, which staged a flash mob Saturday to serenade shoppers with a selection from La Traviata, part of the company's 2012-2013 season.

The song they're singing? It's "Libiamo," also known as "The Drinking Song," also known as the next best thing to actually swigging from a large flask of tequila on your way from "bathrooms" to "lighting fixtures."

Follow Cultist on Facebook and Twitter @CultistMiami.

Ciara LaVelle is New Times' former arts and culture editor. She earned her BS in journalism at Boston University and moved to Florida in 2004. She joined New Times' staff in 2011.

A message from Associate Editor Jose D. Duran: If you value independent journalism, please consider making a contribution to support our continued coverage of Miami's vibrant culture and arts scenes.

Support Today