Paul Potts and Opera

I've written previously about the talks that Speight Jenkins (General Director of Seattle Opera) and Perry Lorenzo (SO Education Director) give at Elliott Bay Books the Friday before the opening of each new production. If anyone from Seattle is reading this, and you have even thought about going to an opera (and even if you don't have a ticket to a performance), I can't recommend these talks highly enough. Speight and Perry individually are probably the most compelling speakers I've encountered in any context. Funny, brilliant, fascinating.  And it's only $5.00 to get in. There are usually only 20-50 people so it's quite an intimate forum.

The last half hour they take questions from the audience. Last night, there was a woman who had never been to an opera before. What inspired her go was this video of Paul Potts doing Nessun Dorma (which generated a huge amount of traffic on YouTube):

Now, vocally, Mr. Potts is not a professional-caliber opera singer (at least of the caliber we get here in Seattle). And they are obviously pumping up the drama factor leading up to his performance. But the video does clearly convey the power of an aria to heighten drama. And for at least one person, it was enough to compel a first-time outing to the opera.

Speight explained that the Pagliacci was a wonderful first opera and she would have a chance to experience professionally-trained singers (minus any amplification; I think many people don't realize that voices aren't amplified in opera--and what an emotional impact hearing the voice directly can have).

So I hope she has a great experience. As Speight likes to say, "it's going to be a great show." The cast sounds fabulous, particularly, the Canio.