PAVAROTTI IN MILWAUKEE, 1992

Luciano Pavarotti, the Italian tenor who died today at home in Modena, Italy at 71, appeared once in Milwaukee. The date was February 18th, 1992, and the location was what was then called the MECCA Arena, 400 W. Kilbourn Ave. [It is now the U.S. Celular Arena, home to the new Milwaukee Bonecrushers Indoor Pro Football team.]
Pavarotti's appearance was by special arrangement of the Tibor Rudas Organization and the Florentine Opera Company. The thing that made it special was its single sponsor, Milwaukee philanthropist and opera buff Marie Z. Uihlein.
Uihlein, who died on September 3rd, 2006, at 89, purchased Pavarotti's appearance at the considerable expense of $150,000, according to Nancy Tawney of the Florentine. She kept a ticket for herself, and donated the rest of them to the Florentine Opera. The opera company then sold those tickets to the general public as a fundraiser.
All was excitement in Milwaukee as the great day drew near. Pavarotti, ensconced in the Pfister Hotel, held a press conference. In the flesh, he was a lot of flesh; a commanding presence, and just as one would have imagined of one of the most recognized men in the world. The table where he sat to address the press was stocked with sparking mineral water (I believe Perrier) accompanied with mesh-wrapped lemon slices, which I found to be quite an innovation. Pavarotti apparently required mineral water and mesh-wrapped lemon slices wherever he went, which seemed very opera singerlike to me. I don't recall what he said, but I recollect he had a pleasant speaking voice.
For the concert I arranged to be issued a photo pass, and spent most of the concert backstage. There were 64 musicians -- mostly local -- on the stage, and 11,000 in the audience at the 11,600 seat Arena. Toward the end, the photographers were herded to their spot between the stage and the audience where there really weren't any particular good views of the singer, as I recall. I spent my time taking pictures of the audience, including Marie Z. Uihlein, who was enjoying her philanthropy, as she enjoyed her life, in discreet anonymity.
-- Michael Horne