Golden Retrievers: The Cure for Everything (Or Lyric Opera's Dogs-at-Work Program)

There are so many weighty subjects covered in opera - love, death, how much house you can get in exchange for your sister-in-law (Rheingold) - you realize it can be a bit of a downer (shocking, right?). Our most recent production of Mozart's The Magic Flute tackled those huge life issues plus a lot more in a welcomed light-hearted manner and, best of all, asked one of life's simpler questions: who's a good boy? Here are the answers: Louie and Morgan, two of the stars of The Magic Flute. These very handsome golden retrievers were featured in several scenes in the production, at one point donning lions' manes to portray Zarastro's fierce gate-keepers (ok, their tails were wagging the entire time, but that added nuance got them applause at every performance).

Consummate professionals, they each got their own dressing room and were generous enough to pose for photos upon request - and head scratches. So many of us would walk into the Opera House on a cold winter night and be thrilled to see these sweet guys hanging out in the office, always ready for affection. Even though they aren't members of the orchestra family per se, we at the Brain Trust knew it was a no-brainer (hehehe) that Louie and Morgan had to be our pets of the month.