Members of the Retirees Association traveled by chartered bus to the Benedum Center in Pittsburgh to see Turandot. The opera is set in ancient China where Prince Calaf falls in love with the icy Princess Turandot. To marry her, he must solve three riddles; a single wrong answer results in death. Calaf solves the riddles but Turandot still refuses to marry him. He offers her a way out. If she is able to learn his name before dawn the next day, then he will willingly die.

Puccini’s Turandot is an all-time favorite among opera lovers. Pittsburgh Opera offered a lavish production with dazzling sets and costumes. They  also offered the Retirees Association a substantial educational discount on tickets.

Also included on the bus trip was a pre-opera talk by Byron Nelson, a retiree from the WVU English Department and the OLLI instructor for Opera as Drama. Byron also offered a short critical recap on the way home.

This was our first sold out trip and one member described it as an especially wonderful trip.