Chicago writer’s passion for opera tied to memories of JFK’s death

By Jian Chung Lee
Chicago writer’s passion for opera tied to memories of JFK’s death
An oil painting of protagonist Siegfried at the Hall of the Gibichungs in the Richard Wagner opera, “Götterdämmerung”. Wikimedia Commons/Josef Hoffmann
Chicago writer’s passion for opera tied to memories of JFK’s death
An oil painting of protagonist Siegfried at the Hall of the Gibichungs in the Richard Wagner opera, “Götterdämmerung”. Wikimedia Commons/Josef Hoffmann

Chicago writer’s passion for opera tied to memories of JFK’s death

By Jian Chung Lee
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Richard Rothschild is a freelance writer and editor living in Oak Park, Illinois. On the night of November 22, 1963, Rothschild was supposed to see a performance of Richard Wagner’s “Götterdämmerung” at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City.

The performance was cancelled because of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination. But as the weekend unfolded, the 13-year-old began to see parallels between the tragedy of the stage and the tragedy of real life.