Figar-d’oh!

In marketing there is a term, it’s used when a product you will be launching receives a great deal of press for something unrelated to your release date. It’s called “softening the market.” Thank you Simpsons for softening the Opera Tampa market in your season premiere!

If you missed it – the season premiere entitled “The Homer of Seville” featured special guest star Placido Domingo as himself. In the highly plausible plot, Homer found yet another of his hidden talents, this time as an opera singer. After giving Placido a few voice lessons, he asks the opera great for advice on the hordes of middle-aged female fans that follow him everywhere.

Oh, and Homer’s stage debut? La Boheme. Opera Tampa’s first show of the season? La Boheme. I’m telling you – we’re geniuses over here!

Actually, I had no idea Placido Domingo was guest starring. He is the first opera singer to guest star in the show’s 18 year history. Pretty cool. Here’s a short article from Playbill.