Last night, arriving home after a late trip back from a marvelous Thanksgiving dinner with friends, I found I couldn’t sleep. It must have been the pecan pie. So I watched the film Callas Forever, directed by Franco Zeffirelli, about the final days of the opera diva Maria Callas. It’s a movie that deserves a much wider audience and reputation. It did not get the fanfare here that it deserved, although it was well-received in Europe and is a popular rental on Netflix. Seeing it again reminded me of a piece I wrote for Opera News back in April 2002, about Zeffirelli and the making of the film. I was able to visit one of the sets at Cinecitta and meet Fanny Ardant and Jeremy Irons. Franco was bouncing back from some physical problems but had not lost any of his legendary zest or zeal.

Meeting him at his home outside Rome was an absolute pleasure as he lived up to his reputation as a prankster and a seductive raconteur. Thanks to Adam Wasserman at Opera News for the link. Click on the link below. And enjoy! And while you’re at it, check out the latest issue of the magazine. It’s terrific.

CLICK HERE: Franco Zeffirelli