Intermission controversy

So, last night at the opera, which opened with Aprile Millo in the title role of Tosca, opera fans were clearly divided about whether an opera singer should "look" the part or not. You could close your eyes and hear exquisite singing, but, said Dr. George Weisbluth of E. Walnut Hills, "why should I bother to come, then?"

But The Rev. Jim Metzger writes this morning:

"Tosca was fantastic, from start to finish, and especially delightful, from our first row seats as we watched maestro mouth every word and conduct masterfully.

What a tenor, and what a woman!!!!

The scenery was excellent, and the whole cast was absolutely superb. The only disappointment of the evening was the reaction from the audience, except for the ovation at the end, for the cast and orchestra. It is still a wildly conservative audience seemingly afraid to let go.

Ah, Cincinnati. Hey, and it extends to the Reds, too."

It brings up the whole issue of singers like Deborah Voigt who undergo drastic measures like gastric bypass so they can continue to get jobs onstage. Yet, in yesterday's New York Times, the review of gorgeous sexpot Romanian soprano Angela Gheorghiu in Tosca at Covent Garden was lukewarm. Problem: not the bod, it was her not-so-big voice and her "kittenish" rendition.

So, do looks matter?