The tribute today at the Waldorf-Astoria to director and designer Franco Zeffirelli started with photographs of his mother and father and a slew of childhood photos of Franco.
The biographical details were filled in, but many of the opera insiders in the room were already acquainted with the honoree: The Florence native started studying architecture, then met the Italian director Luchino Visconti, who became a mentor into the world of the stage. Mr. Zeffirelli debuted at the Metropolitan Opera with "Falstaff" and has created 12 productions for the company, eight of which are still in the active repertory.
While guests dined on an opera-themed meal (Tosca Napolean, Chicken Turandot, and Tiramisu Franco), world-renowned talents took the stage, including Jeremy Irons (donning a mustache for his role in "Never So Good" at the royal National Theatre in London) and Angela Gheorghiu.
And here's what Elizabeth Taylor wrote for the program: "Franco Zeffirelli has an imagination bordering on the dreamlike. Shakespeare is his playground, a magical world of poetry and beauty that very few people can interpret. With Franco at the helm, you always know the results will be above and beyond anything we mere mortals can conjure. It must be wonderful to have an imagination like Franco's."
The Metropolitan Opera Guild's annual tribute to opera legends is a legend in itself, but it represents just a tiny part of the guild's activities. There are tours, a shop, a magazine, and education programs, all of which help spread the word about the art form.
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