Re: the snub that didn't involve a little black dress. If you were music director of a minor regional opera company, and had the chance to book an international star for three out of four performances of an opera, would you? Sort of a no-brainer, but this was the reason given for "going in a different direction": "I didn't and do not believe in having a superstar for three performances, and then try to find someone to sing one performance for one of our heaviest subscribed audiences." Was there more to this than that?