A written greeting from a famous opera star to her followers in Guadalajara graces the walls of the Teatro Diana thanks to the quick thinking of a fan after a chance encounter on the streets of New York.
Earlier this year Guadalajara resident Franklin Dunne says he was “enjoying a few moments of fresh air and breathing the pre performance excitement on the plaza in front of the Metropolitan House” when he spotted soprano Deborah Voigt standing a few feet away.
Dunne, who has held a Saturday matinee subscription at the Metropolitan Opera for many years, plus a subscription to the HD broadcasts at the Teatro Diana in Guadalajara, admits he was “a bit star struck,” since “it isn’t everyday that one confronts a diva on the sidewalk.”Says Dunne: “In a raincoat and with her hair down no one would mistake her for a Valkyrie, but still her silhouette exuded a certain presence. As well it should.”
One of the world’s leading sopranos, Voigt has appeared in many of the Metropolitan Opera’s broadcasts in Guadalajara, including her role as Brünnhilde in Wagner’s “Ring” cycle and the title role in Puccini’s “The Girl in the Golden West.”
Dunne summoned up the courage to approach the singer. “I felt as if I could not let the chance slip by to thank ‘Debbie’ for the hours of enjoyment that her performances had given us. At the last moment I decided to ask if she would like to send a written greeting to her fans in Guadalajara.”
Voigt seemed genuinely surprised.
“Guadalajara, Mexico? Sure, wow!” she responded.
Dunne then produced a piece of paper on which Voight wrote: “To all my fans at the Teatro Diana in Guadalajara, Mexico, Love Debbie.”
Says Dunne: “Backing away I thought, what a wonderful and generous person she is. And what a wonderful momento for all those who attend the HD performances of the opera here in Guadalajara.”
The 2013-2014 season of Metropolitan Opera simulcasts began at the Teatro Diana on Saturday, October 5. Just prior to the regular informative talk preceding the broadcast, a small ceremony took place in the foyer during which Dunne presented theater manager Ivan Vasquez with Voight’s gracious message that now sits snugly within an elegant frame underneath a photograph of the star.
The New York Metropolitan Opera season continues with Shostakovich’s “The Nose” at the Teatro Diana, Saturday, October 26, 11:55 a.m. Tickets: 100-250 pesos.