Seattle Opera came into being after a spectacular Aida at the 1962 World’s Fair. When the time came to repeat Verdi’s great masterpiece, General Director Glynn Ross decided not to try to compete with memories of that production’s grandeur; instead, he inaugurated Seattle Opera’s tradition of double-casting mainstage performances, cast Seattle Opera’s first African-American performer (Ella Lee as Aida), and engaged the husband-wife team of Fiorenza Cossotto and Ivo Vinco. The set featured eight 35-foot towers that took up all 80 feet of the Seattle Opera House depth.