What gives Placido?

Opera fans’ ears suffered serious disappointment Tuesday night when Placido Domingo was unable to sing his role of Vidal in Florida Grand Opera’s performance of Luisa Fernanda at the Adrienne Arsht Center. An opera statement said that the world-renowned tenor, 70, had a “serious throat infection that disabled his vocal cords’’ and Domingo’s doctor determined that the Maestro was unable to go on with the show where tickets went as high as $500. But the consummate pro wasn’t a no-show: He ended up at the podium conducting the zarzuela and attending the gala afterward where he mingled and posed for pictures, said FGO’s media relations manager Alejandra Serna. Serna says ticketholders were notified before the performance with an e-blast, and if they wanted a refund they got one. “I would say 90 percent of people came anyway,’’ she said, adding that if you didn’t attend and want a refund, keep your unripped ticket as proof and call the FGO box office at 800-741-1010.

This story was originally published November 16, 2011 at 4:11 AM with the headline "What gives Placido?."