8-1-2011 A show and dinner in Agra

We walked into the theater and realized that it was very modern and well appointed. There were very few customers, maybe 25 in a place that probably seats 800 people. The seats were very comfortable and the interior design of the theater was ornate. Each seat had headphones and a bottle of water. The headphones allowed you to listen to the performance in one of ten languages.
    The show started and it was a blend of film, acting and dancing. The film was on a large screen set at the rear of the stage. The film basically told the story and would introduce the live scenes and then enhance the scenes with further background action. The costumes were spectacular and the sound quality was awesome. 
    The performance was well acted in pantomime to a prerecorded dialogue and soundtrack. The headsets also sounded great. I would describe the performance as being akin to a Broadway musical. The dance routines were well done though Fariba and I both commented that we would have liked to see something more rooted in ethnic dances.
     After the dance, Vinod took us to the Oberoi Amarvilas. This is where we had dinner reservations at the Esphehan Restaurant. The Amarvilas is owned by the same company that owns the Udaivilas in Udaipur. I highly recommend staying st one of their hotels if you ever get a chance. Their service and the hotel environment is the essence of luxury. The Agra location has an actual view of the Taj as it is the closest hotel to the Taj. On this occasion, we went first to the bar so Fariba could have a drink and Troy could have a beer. They also had a selection of Cuban cigars which Troy and I could not pass up. We selected the Partagas and took our seats outside with a view of the Taj, its silhouette in the darkness. We could see the ornate and perfectly lit pool area of the Amarvilas. The cigars were noticeably better than the ones we get in America. Maybe it was psychological because of the legendary status of Cuban cigars, but it does not matter.
     We could hear in the near distance a party which we later surmised was two parties: the Muslims celebrating the end of the first day of Ramadan and the Hindus celebrating the day of Shiva. Soon, the last Islamic call to prayer of the night was heard and it was quiet the rest of the night. We wished that we had had the opportunity to visit the celebration.
     After drinks we enjoyed a fabulous dinner accompanied by the sound of a fellow playing a dulcimer like instrument. The dinner included and Indian style roast leg of lamb that Troy had that melted in your mouth. I had a quail stuffed with minced chicken and Fariba had lamb with a spinach sauce. We had more than enough to eat and then went outside to find Vinod waiting to take us to the hotel.