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How the Seattle Opera got involved with the government shutdown

The Seattle Opera wanted to help federal workers dealing with the partial government shutdown and missed paychecks.

As the government shutdown rolls into its 30th day, the Seattle Opera is trying to help federal workers forget about some of the stress they're facing. They offered free tickets for federal workers to their latest show, Il Trovatore

The company's directors describe it as “one of the great operas in their repertoire." It is a dark and tumultuous work “warring factions giving rise to all sorts of unspeakable behavior set to the most fantastic music and amazing singing," General Director Aidan Lang explained.

It is drama at the highest level, similar to some other stuff going on these days. “It’s very easy to look at this opera and think it's a meaningless story but I think the world we live in today has given it a certain topicality,” Lang explained.

Seattle Opera said they wanted to do something for workers caught in the middle of the government shutdown and decided to offer free tickets. Soprano Leah Crocetto is a lead in the show “I thought it was obvious we should do that, there are so many government employees that are working for nothing right now to keep us safe.”

The show reunites her with her vocal teacher tenor Arnold Rawls. It's the first time they've performed this opera together. "Trovatore... not a lot of companies do it cause you have got to have 4 great singers in the leads," he explained.

Despite the tough storyline, they're hoping these voices help stressed-out workers find relief. “This is a great way to do a small thing for them and give the furloughed employees a little taste of joy and music on a Sunday afternoon," Crocetto said.

For three hours they can leave one drama behind and escape into another. “Il Trovatore is known as his darkest work honestly, it's a pretty gloomy ending pretty much everyone is dead, but I guess that's opera,” Lang explained.

It's a suitable ending for an opera, but federal workers are overdue for a less dramatic curtain call on this government shutdown.  

“Let's hope some common sense is seen and resolution is seen in a less operatic sense,” Lang said.

On Saturday night, about 16 federal workers took advantage of the show, Sunday afternoon they had 30. Federal workers can get free tickets for a show on Wednesday evening, January 23rd by presenting their identification at the box office.  Il Trovatore runs through Saturday.

Seattle Opera website

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