Thousands of downtown Knoxvillians got a dose of opera this weekend when the Rossini Festival began Friday, April 18 at 8 p.m. as the Italian opera Tosca hit the stage at the Tennessee Theatre.

According to Production Manager of Knoxville Opera, Don Townsend, 2008 marked the Rossini Festival's seventh year.

"The idea was to give University of Tennessee Opera students a chance to perform at the Bijou and to produce two operas in one weekend," said Townsend.  From there, he said, it "evolved" into today's Rossini Festival and Italian street fair.  Townsend said the street fair gave opera audiences a chance to eat lunch or dinner between showings.

According to Townsend, the Italian street fair grew after the first year when the second year attracted more visitors.  After that, more people began attending, he said.
Most people think of the fair as the Rossini Festival, but it began with the operas.
-Don Townsend, production manager for Knoxville Opera"Most people think of the fair as the Rossini Festival, but it began with the operas," Townsend said.

The Italian street fair hosted many vendors, ranging from puppetry to jewelry, as well as performances by Circle Modern Dance Company, Knoxville and University of Tennessee jazz bands and soldier reenactments reinforcing the prominence of soldiers in the last act of Tosca.  Five stages allowed different entertainers to perform, Townsend said.

A local klezmer band, Tennessee Schmaltz, performed as well Saturday afternoon on the Main Stage.  UT associate professor of journalism and electronic media Dr. Robert Heller, a member of Tennessee Schmaltz, said the festival Saturday gave his band some exposure to the community.

"The Rossini Festival was a great gig for a performer," Heller said.  "We had a chance to showcase our band, Tennessee Schmaltz, in front of an enthusiastic crowd who might not be familiar with our brand of klezmer music."

Food vendors were not in short supply for the festival's visitors.  Italian, Mediterranean and Greek food were offered from various companies including Romano's Macaroni Grill.

The food was cooked right on the street, creating smells too hard to resist, Townsend said. 

In addition to the food, Townsend mentioned that different wines, Budweiser, Pepsi products and "special waters" were available to quench thirst.

To top it off, many desserts were sold as well including Italian ice, funnel cakes and baklava.  Vendors like TCBY, Ben and Jerry's ice cream and the Cheesecake Company sold their desserts as well.

Activities for children's entertainment in Market Square, including a giant inflatable bounce arena and various crafts, enticed children at the Rossini Festival on Saturday, while the adults were drawn into the Square to benefit from established businesses.

Townsend said Knoxville's economy benefited from the Rossini Festival, especially the downtown area.  "I think it brings a lot of commerce with vendors selling arts and crafts. Everybody has a chance to exhibit their work, and with so many people downtown, it gives us a chance to present Knoxville Jazz, Circle Modern Dance, children's ensembles and a wide variety of entertainment events in addition to the operas," Townsend said.

"Everybody likes to go see a good movie and that's what it's all about.  It's almost like seeing a blockbuster on the big screen," Townsend said.  "It's like seeing a great piece of modern theater."

All performances of Tosca during the weekend were at the Tennessee Theatre.

In addition to Tosca, written by Giacomo Puccini and performed by the Knoxville Opera, La Traviata written by Giuseppe Verdi, was performed by the University of Tennessee Opera Theater at the Bijou Theater.  The last performance will be at the Bijou Theater Monday, April 21 at 8 p.m.  Tickets start at five dollars and go up to $15.