A lot of folks are doing a double take when seeing an ad for the Minnesota Opera's production of "La Boheme.''
A dark-haired tenor named ...
![The� man in the photo is James Valenti, a tenor with the Minnesota Opera. He is appearing in their production of La Bohe.](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/4XHFY4T3QHTYHEZ4XAYTTY4MPQ.jpg?&w=712)
Featured in it is a couple engaged in a passionate embrace. The dark-haired man planting a big smooch on a ravishing red-head looks a lot like Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty.
Pawlenty, of course, has a state to run, a big deficit to deal with and presidential aspirations to manage. Probably not too likely that he'd have time to moonlight on stage as Rodolfo in "La Boheme." Still, the guy in the ad really does look like Pawlenty. And, after all, Pawlenty once gave a very public shout-out to his "red-hot smokin' wife." Not a stretch to think he could play a passionate tenor on stage.
A request to confirm or deny a new singing role for Pawlenty got no response from the governor's office Friday afternoon. But a call to the Minnesota Opera settled things. Spokesman Daniel Zillmann laughed as he said that no, it's not Pawlenty. Instead, it's rising star James Valenti, who is poised to make his debut at some of the world's most distinguished opera houses in the months ahead and recently made a promotional video for the Minnesota Opera (available online at MnOpera.org) that generated controversy in opera circles because it featured the tenor singing in the shower.
As for Valenti's resemblance to Pawlenty, Zillmann thought it could only benefit the Minnesota Opera. Said Zillman: "A lot of our subscribers are Republicans, so that's great."
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