The Greatest Spectacle There is on Earth (Ep. 239 - Opera/Michael Fabiano)

My guest this week is a man of intense confidence -- which seems like a prerequisite for the work that he does. Michael Fabiano is an opera singer, and also former baseball umpire, debater, and business student. Opera was a side-passion for him until a teacher told him that his talent was so great that he had a moral obligation to dedicate himself to cultivating his art to the exclusion of all else. And so that's just what he did -- though he still makes time for casual hobbies now and then, like flying airplanes. And by the way, Michael just released a new album of songs -- check out Michael Fabiano: Verdi & Donizetti to hear him present a spectacular set of songs. I've had quite a few guests discuss their love of opera, and if you'd like to hear more you can check out Episode 4 (Salome), Episode 38 (Angels in America), Episode 89 (Mama Tits), and Episode 127 (Sailor Moon) -- all go into even more depth on the genre and the craft. Also, a reminder that I host twice-monthly livestreams where I chat with listeners like you about the book and movies and music and shows that are bringing you joy right now. The next one is on June 22 at 9am pacific, and there's a link at the top of the Sewers of Paris twitter feed. Big thanks to everyone who makes The Sewers of Paris possible with a pledge of support on Patreon -- head over to SewersOfParis.com and click "Support the show on Patreon" to check out the rewards for backers. And for more queer podcasting, check out the show Queens of Adventure, featuring drag queens on an epic Dungeons and Dragons quest! That's at QueensOfAdventure.com. We’re doing a special preview weekend at the end of June, making over 20 hours of backer-exclusive bonus episodes available for anyone to listen to. Visit queensofadventure.com or follow @dungeondrag on twitter, where we’ll post more information in the coming weeks.