Tonight, I was fortunate to visit Torre del Lago (town of Viareggio) in the province of Lucca, Tuscany, Italy. It is between the Lake of Massaciuccoli and the Tyrrhenian Sea. This is where opera composer, Giacomo Puccini, lived and worked. He is buried inside of a small chapel in the villa there. I was happy to read that this area is well known for being a gay-friendly summer resort of national and international appeal.
I saw a La Boheme tonight at the Puccini festival held there. I loved the sets and the outdoor setting. It was ethereal to be in that setting knowing the history. I was all about clapping for act 2 cafe momus cuz the sets were cool but alas the audience was more of the stuffy sort. I was especially impressed by the Musetta Micaela Sarah D’Alessandro and Rudolfo (whose name I didn’t catch because no programs were distributed.) The kids in act 2 were great too!
Good news, by the looks of the throngs of opera goers tonight, albeit stuffy, opera is alive and well at least in Tuscany. Giddy up.
akintsucrooner 