Seattle/"La Scala"

A very busy day and then a wonderful performance of Turandot (OK folks, it's pronounced "doe" not "dot") tonight at Seattle Opera. I've always wanted to get this shot of our general director, Speight Jenkins, in his spot as greeter at the top of the entry stairs. He's a fixture there 30 minutes before the curtain. Every performance. He came from NYC , has been director here since 1983 and has done a wonderful job of growing the company (and the audience), selecting some great and emerging artists, keeping up the tradition of a world class Wagner's Ring every four years and educating us about the art form. He's retiring at the end of this season (30 years!) so here was my chance to make a photo memory in the summer when it's light late.
And what a spectacle it was!! It's almost too visually wild and colorful to concentrate on the music. The costumes and sets are outrageously gorgeous! It's not my favorite Pucchini (and Pavarotti does a much better Nessun Dorma than our prince tonight) but I loved looking and listening to this very Grand Opera production of "Ice princess finds love", odd as it is...