The San Francisco Opera performance of Romeo and Juliet was ultimately truly satisfying for the romantics among us, though it required some patience. The set was ambitious if uninteresting, the production was somewhat ho-hum, and the opera was long—oh, was it long. But the orchestra was lively and on top of things, the chorus did its job admirably, and fortunately for all of us, the substitute tenor had Wheaties for breakfast. Tenor Pati saved the night as we all, Juliet included, fell in love with him. Pati’s voice is not commanding and his presence sometimes seems tentative, yet he manages to dominate every scene he is in, and his will seems to be our command. There were a number of very strong performances by supporting characters (e.g., the Friar, the Duke, Mercutio, Stephano), which empowered the production. If there was any doubt that the length of the program was worth it, the happy jig danced during the curtain call by the risen-from-the-dead principals dispelled all doubt.