I once read (in the book Opera For Dummies) that “opera is the crash test simulator for life”. As I muse on opera dads, we can learn a lot about – mostly - what not to do. (But I’ve only got cats so what do I know)

Cendrillon – Pandolfe, stand up for your daughter for goodness sake! What were you thinking marrying that woman?

Aida – Pharaoh, maybe check into things before announcing marriages in front of everyone.

Aida - Amonasro, you should be ashamed manipulating your daughter like that.

Hansel and Gretel – Dad’s a good guy, he provides and protects. He comes through with food when it’s needed and goes after his children when they are in serious danger.

Mikado - Forcing a kid into marriage generally leads to problems.

Rigoletto - Being over protective leads right where you don’t want it to.

The Ring - Wotan - Having kids with this many different people leads to all kinds of trouble. But he teaches them respect, responsibility and obedience, tempered with love. Never-the-less, he’s got his eye on the bigger picture and is trying to avert disaster on a scale these kids just can’t understand.

The Ring - Daddy Rhine - these girls are not mature enough to be guarding something so important. You should know that.

Rusalka - Dad warns her against her dangerous and destructive course of action. But he still gives her information that will lead her to disaster. This is the guy who will do anything to make their child happy, with terrible results.

La Traviata- Germont loves his kids, that’s for sure, but it didn’t have to go down like it did. Get all the info and see if you can come up with better solutions guy.