As Knoxville Opera's General Director, Brain Salesky put it (sic), "The fourth time is the charm."
Indeed, for Maestro Salesky's previous three years of Rossini Festivals, inclement weather was of major concern. But not
this year: clear and sunny... unless you count the fairly balmy summer temperatures. (The author must note that, unlike the
vast majority of attendees at the festival, he was wearing a full suit of corduroy and wool and a long-sleeve dress shirt--his
stage costume. Ergo, anything about the temperature must be taken in that context, i.e., as if one were wrapped up like a
hot tamale.) Last year's early morning showers may have made many festival-goers change their plans: Sad, as by noon the clouds
had cleared and it was a wonderful day. However, this year's (accurate) sunny-all-day forecast brought out the crowds of several
years past--70,000 by some estimates. The streets were packed wall-to-wall with people wanting to enjoy a stroll on the town
and take in the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes of this year's festival.
The tastes, the smells! Ah! Those primitive senses! While, with the relatively recent (evolutionarily speaking) acute sense
of sight, one might miss a particular artisan's paintings, jewelry, the "cave man" (or woman) sense of smell and taste were
once again assaulted with probably the most diverse menu of any festival in East Tennessee. All the food groups were present.
There were "carney food" overtones, definitely: popcorn, cotton candy, corn dogs, and the like, vended out of the traditional
brightly(!) lit custom trailer. But, then, next door, one might be tempted by the Caesar salad from a local Greek restaurant.
Doh! But they also have gyros! What's a food lover to do in such an environment? The only option possible: indulge one's primitive
senses and plan on shredded wheat on the succeeding Monday through Friday.
This year, in addition to live performances from singers, instrumentalists, etc., the Knoxville Opera chorus, soloists,
and members of the Knoxville Symphony put together a preview of their featured opera, Leoncavallo's Pagliacci, at
the main stage between Gay Street and Market Square a mere hour before the curtain rose on the official production at the
Tennessee Theater. Perhaps it was the preview concert, perhaps it was the conveninet 6 pm start time, or perhaps folks just
wanted to get out of the 88° F weather, but the theater was packed for that performance. The Sunday afternoon performance
seemed just as full.
Likewise, down the street at the Bijou, UT Opera Theater's production of Mozart's Don Giovanni played to full
houses from the previous Thursday through Sunday night. Four separate casts allowed ample opportunity for everyone to see,
perhaps, future Metropolitan Opera stars in action before their presence demanded exhorbitant ticket prices.
In the end, everyone in attendance, from local center-city dwellers to tourists as far away as Italy, agrees, though: Knoxville
Opera definitely knows how to throw a party!
Reports and pictures from previous years' street fairs:
2008 Italian Street Fair
2007 Italian Street Fair
2006 Italian Street Fair
2005 Italian Street Fair
