Guy who booed at opera comes forward

That was L.A. writer Rip Rense who booed during the cheers for Achim Freyer at Saturday's opening night performance of "Die Walküre" at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. The Times' Mark Swed called the booing "sad, if not unexpected," but Rense writes:

Yes, another courageous audience member has laid claim to my title, in the comments section of Swed’s review, but trust me, folks, it was me. I was the one Swed heard. I was louder than Wotan, king of the gods, certainly louder than he was by the end of the five-hour opera.

And let it be noted here that I applauded for everyone else---cast, crew, orchestra, conductor---with vigor.

Rense posts at his website: "Poor L.A., for being subjected to a cluttered, ridiculous, crass, idiosyncratic, and often downright cheesey production for its first-ever 'Ring.' Millions were spent on this? Everything looks like it is made of construction paper and tempera paint by really hard-working high school kids."