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Monday night was one of the best nights I've had in Baton Rouge...EVER! For those of you who read this little blog of mine, you may recall that, a couple of weeks ago, I mentioned how excited I was that soprano Renee Fleming was coming to the 225 to sing with the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra (BRSO). Well, she came, she sang, and she conquered a sell-out crowd at the River Center. The BRSO, under the able direction of maestro Timothy Muffitt, was splendid and made those of us in the audience proud to call them our own.

From the moment she walked onstage, Renee Fleming captured the hearts of the audience at the Baton Rouge River Center Theater. As I’ve said before, she is the total diva package – in a good way. There were the gowns (yes, she changed gowns), the jewelry, the stage presence, the interaction with the audience, and most of all…THE VOICE. She thrilled us with Mozart, Verdi, Strauss, Dvorak, Puccini, Gershwin and others.

Over the course of the night, the audience, including Mayor Kip Holden and his lovely wife Lois, gave Ms. Fleming at least six standing ovations. With a generous scheduled program, and several encores, Renee Fleming had us eating out of her hands. And we all loved every minute of it. I think she did too. She commented during the encores that, “It’s nice to still be able to debut somewhere.” At this point in her career, Fleming has sung in just about every major opera house and concert hall on the planet. Monday night was her first time in Baton Rouge. And for that one magical evening, the BRSO and Renee Fleming reminded us that we have the capacity to bring in and fully support world-famous artists and a top-notch orchestra. There is hope for the arts and culture in the 225. We must keep the momentum going. Kudos to the Baton Rouge Symphony. To learn more about what they are up to for the rest of the season, check out their Web site.

Until next time…