Terry Allen of High Point turns up the heat in the ongoing battle between High Point and Greensboro:

I’m not so sure Greensboro deserves a new auditorium. At least that’s the way it struck me recently when I attended Greensboro Opera’s production of “Madama Butterfly.”

I was aghast when some folks sat down in front of my party carrying Cokes, complete with lids and straws, and bags of what looked like Cracker Jacks. I thought surely these rubes have bought these somewhere outside and managed to sneak them past the ushers. Shortly thereafter, I realized that there were Cokes and bags of assorted crunchies all over the place. A constant crackly din permeated the hall during the first 15-plus minutes of the first act. In addition, our discomfort was aggravated by the seating of latecomers (in virtual droves) for maybe 30 minutes. It all brought back memories of being at the movies on Saturday afternoon during my youth. The only thing missing was the smell of popcorn.

Greensboro, darlin’, this doesn’t happen in Winston at the Stevens Center. At the Met the offenders would have been dragged out onto the Plaza and drawn and quartered. Maybe the Gate City should be content with the sad facility it already has. It’ll be easier to clean up the mess.

Ouch. A guy from High Point giving Greensboro lessons in culture and refinement. But hey, maybe the soda-slurping, cracker-crunching, Madama Butterfly-watching rubes were from Archdale.