Invite Placido Domingo Now!

The 450th Committee and the City Commission keep wondering who to invite as VIP's to the celebration of the City of St. Augustine's 450th year of continuous European occupation. This will be in five years. The Ca Pope's name keeps coming up since the Mayor of our town has the mistaken belief that this was the birthplace of Christianity in the New World.Face it.....the German born Pope is not coming fellas.

Let's look at a man who was born in Madrid and came to Mexico (part of the New World, Mr, Mayor) as a young boy. Imagine the Flagler auditorium filled to capacity with Senor Domingo doing the "I Pagliacci" aria. The swells in town will pay good money to see this. Senor Domingo is a consummate fundraiser, instrumental in raising over 700, 000 dollars for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.and a huge benefit for the Mexican earthquake victims

Placido Domingo is currently the General Director of the Washington National Opera in Washington, D.C. and the Los Angeles Opera in California.He is now recovering from colon surgery in March but insists that he will be returning to the stage soon. He is fond of saying,"If I rest, I rust" He is 69 years old.

Spain , particularly the Catalan region where Placido's father was born, has given us a wealth of art.(Picasso, Miro, Dali) Here is one man who embodies the migration from Europe to the "New World".

We also think that City official (Chief Planner or some such title) Mark Knight should dress up as Don Quixote during the festivities.Erroll Jones can be Sancho Panza.. That's a street performance we would like to see.