The two best things about Daron Aric Hagen's new opera, Amelia, are the story (by Steven Wadsworth) and the sets (by Thomas Lynch). The best singing comes midway through the second act, when the great soprano Jane Eaglen sings a prayer (to the tune of the Navy Hymn) to her niece, the comatose title character. The most dramatic stage moment comes at the end of the first act, set in a Vietnamese village, when a child is executed because the noble American pilot (Amelia's father) refuses to divulge military secrets. The opera was inspired by Gardner McFall's Poems for My Father, and she also wrote the libretto. more ›

• Seattle Opera must have been on a high note on Friday, when they were awarded a $500,000 grant to debut the new American opera Amelia in May 2010.
• We welcome the handmade chocolates (hellooo, raspberry-wasabi dark chocolate truffle!), traditional German treats, and delicious ganache-filled confections from Madison Valley's Suess Chocolates & Pastries, the newest chocolate shop on the block. If one truffle isn't enough for you, there are truffle-making classes too.