By Ibarra C. Mateo

Many years ago, when Vincenzo Grisostomi Travaglini directed the opera and designed the set and costumes for its Tokyo run, he was given FOUR MONTHS just to rehearse the cast.

Knowing the Japanese penchant for perfection, this was hardly surprising. Travaglini is among the key persons behind the 2020 CCP production of Lucia, which closes today with a 3 pm show.

Former Emperor Akihito and former Empress Michiko are opera lovers. They would not miss the Travaglini’s Lucia.

Over lunch, Travaglini told us that there was one BIG limitation. The imperial couple, when they are in Japan, are not allowed by imperial protocol to be out of the palace in the evening for MORE THAN TWO HOURS. But the opera runs almost three hours including…