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An insider's view of the opera world from one of its greatest figures.

Everything about opera is larger than life, but the bigger the art form, the bigger the potential for disaster. When things go wrong at the opera house, they really go wrong. No one has a greater or more intimate knowledge of such moments than Lotfi Mansouri. Over the course of a career that has spanned five decades, Mansouri has directed nearly 500 productions at major opera houses around the globe.

Mansouri has gathered a collection of discrete vignettes that recount unforgettable and revealing moments at the opera as personally experienced or witnessed by him. From unbelievable snafus to unfortunate mishaps to astounding coincidences, these vignettes feature some of the biggest names in opera, as well as prominent figures from politics and more. From the hilarious to the bizarre, this is a reader-friendly look at what is often thought of as an overly serious, even mysterious form of art.

Mark Hernandez is a professional opera singer who lives in San Francisco. When he's not on stage, he can be found championing the performing arts as a teacher, consultant, and writer.

Lotfi Mansouri has been a notable international opera director for decades. In addition to a career in Europe, he has headed up both the Canadian Opera Company and the San Francisco Opera. He was named a Chevalier in the French Legion d'honneur, and in 2009 received the National Endowment for the Arts Opera Honors award. He died in San Francisco in 2013 at the age of 84.