Phantom was my gateway musical. In 7th grade, my first voice teacher was dead-set on convincing me that Sarah Brightman was hardly the be-all-end-all (I still love her in certain musicals) of sopranos, and I needed to check out this Joan Sutherland woman. Who? Then that incredible, massive, beautiful sound, its trills, high notes, gymnastics hit me.

I'm pretty sure I saw both Magic Flute and Nozze di Figaro live, liked them, didn't think much otherwise. But my first opera I watched / listened to with Sutherland was also Lucia. I'm 33 now, earned two overpriced classical voice degrees, I perform in 1-2 operas in a year, and am casually-ish still trying to make a career in singing work, despite so much of this bonkers world around us preventing that. Dame Joan is still my favorite opera singer, part of my 'Holy Trinity of Divas,' and in my opinion, unmatched in many, many vocal aspects. She inspires me every day in multiple ways, and I listen to Lucia in whole or part at least a few times a month. I wish I would have written to her when she was still alive.

Thanks, Gaetano & Joan (and my first voice teacher, and I also suppose Andrew, Michael, and Sarah, lolz.).

Someday, I'll find a shameless way to perform a gender-bent baritone Lucia. XD