Most hands do not go up when I ask my audiences, “Who is an opera fan?” It’s as if I had asked, “Who is a big fan of brussels sprouts?” Yes, there will be a few enthusiasts, but most faces go neutral, some almost grimacing.  While it’s true that it is the most expensive performance art form in the world, opera’s power lies in the most human of experiences.

It was Giacomo Puccini who understood this best. He brought opera into the 20th century. Prior to this, operas (which literally means “works”) were based on stories of the nobility or the gods, a realm unreachable for most.  Puccini wrote about the common man and woman, the people often living in the margins.