Felicitous casting including Renée Fleming, Susan Graham, and Ben Heppner in youthfully radiant voice (alongside supporting artists Sheila Nadler, Richard van Allan, and Ealynn Voss) made this show one of Seattle Opera's greatest productions. It didn’t hurt that the Disney animated film The Little Mermaid had been a recent hit. This was an opera to which parents could happily take the younger generation. It was also an example of Jenkins’ determination to bring to Seattle seldom-performed operas of great merit. This Rusalka was not only a company first, it preceded any Metropolitan Opera productions of the work. The title role was such a great fit for Renée Fleming, the “Song to the Moon” quickly became a staple of her recitals.