EP 381: Ron Howard on Luciano Pavarotti's Operatic Life

Oscar-winning filmmaker Ron Howard (A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13) discusses his new documentary on the life of opera star Luciano Pavarottii. He talks about the art of filmmaking and storytelling, how he approaches a documentary versus a narrative film about a real person, and how he got the idea to present Pavarotti’s story as an opera. We get into Pavarotti the romantic, how Ron got the various women in Pavarotti’s life to participate in the film, and why Pavarotti often compared his famous voice to a tempestuous lover. He tells the story of how the Three Tenors were formed, and how Pavarotti took opera into sports stadiums and the mainstream by collaborating with everyone from Steve Wonder to Sting. Plus we talk about Pavarotti’s enormous appetite, his even bigger heart for charity, and Ron’s own chance encounter with this opera legend.

Ron Howard's film Pavarotti opens in theaters Friday, June 7. Visit www.pavarottifilm.com for information and show times. Today's podcast was sponsored by The Life is Good Ping Podcast and Udacity.