Friday the 13th

Infatuation! True love! Faithlessness! Jealousy! A father's curse! Mistaken identity! A tragic sacrifice! A dramatic revival, just long enough to sing the last aria! Friday the 13th was the perfect day for Rigoletto, one of Giuseppe Verdi's masterpieces. Along with great music and an over the top tragic storyline, the opera feautres vintage 19th century cynicism: "La donna è mobile" - "Woman is fickle", sings the philandering Duke of Mantua, as he flits from lover to lover, leaving a trail of broken hearts and tragedy behind him.


And where better to experience this, than the Sydney Opera House? Opened in 1973 after an epic construction project, it is an iconic building and one of the most famous performance venues in the world.


That was our fantastic wedding gift from Meghan's cousin David and his wife Annette, both Professors in the Music department at Cornell: Rigoletto, on Friday the 13th, at the Sydney Opera house.

So we dressed up and rubbed shoulders with the Sydney glitterati and tremendously enjoyed our evening at the opera. A stunning setting, gorgeous sets, beautiful music, tremendous passion and excitement - what a memorable experience!