Derb – I have no doubt that Jay knows a great deal about opera and music. And if he knows more about either than anyone you’ve ever met then he knows even more than I thought he did, which was quite a lot. And I am sure it is quite a treat to have Jay as a cultural sherpa. But you start from a premise not shared by everyone. Many decent humans in fact despise opera. I don’t want to say I myself despise it, but I most certainly don’t like it very much. And before you ask “have you given it a chance?” let me say, categorically, yes. As a child I appeared in numerous performances at the Met, including Pavarotti’s first in New York. My father adores opera and took me to many other performances. He also had it playing in the background for much of my childhood.
So, while this may be a grand coup for thee, it’s certainly not one for me. But I will gladly hold your hand at the next Star Trek convention.