Weeell, we figured that right about now would be a great time to put out some new episodes of the podcast. We hope that all of you out there in the weirdness are staying nice and safe and quarantined, and that these episodes will be a tiny ray of indoor sunshine for you all.

Dramaturg and Seattle Opera Podcast host, Jonathan Dean has come back to the Classroom for this epic two-episode series about the bazillion operas based on the writing of the Russian author Alexander Pushkin. Even though Pushkin died in his early 30s, he was massively, hugely influential. We're talking Shakespeare level. His writing not only solidified the Russian voice and inspired other writers, it inspired lots of other art, including so much opera. In this first episode, we talk about who, what, where, and when Pushkin was (setting the stage for episode 2, which is about just some of the operas his stories inspired).

Just a note: We recorded this two-episode series well before any pandemics happened, when the Opera was still putting on live shows with audiences and planning for the season to come. There are some Seattle Opera events that Jon alludes to that are no longer happening, though I'm guessing that you could figure that out! Also, though we say this in the episode, it bears repeating: it's SO IMPORTANT to support your local arts organizations right now. Don't ask for ticket refunds, donate if you can, buy merch! Okayloveyoubye!