Hopscotch (film) describes bullets flying and even bombs exploding. There is also the aria "[[Largo al Factotum]]" from the opera [[The Barber of Seville]] by [[Gioachino Rossini]]. Matthau sings this as he passes a border checkpoint. The words to the aria explain how everyone is looking for the barber, and he moves fast like lightning. Kendig has the aria "[[Un bel dì vedremo|Un Bel Dì Vedremo]]" ("One Beautiful Day") from [[Madame Butterfly]] by [[Giacomo Puccini]] playing loudly on the stereo as the FBI and CIA shoot up Myerson's wife's house. The operatic contrapunto adds a surreal air of ironic justice to the
Giacomo Puccini week of the premiere of Verdi's last opera, "Falstaff", which was first performed on 9 February 1893. In anticipation of the premiere, "La Stampa" wrote that Puccini was a young man concerning whom "great hopes" had a real basis (""). Because of the failure of "Edgar", however, a failure of "Manon Lescaut" could have jeopardized Puccini's future as a composer. Although Giulio Ricordi, head of Casa Ricordi, was supportive of Puccini while "Manon Lescaut" was still in development, the Casa Ricordi board of directors was considering cutting off Puccini's financial support. In any event, ""Manon Lescaut" was Puccini's first and