The story of Marie Duplessis, the woman who inspired Verdi's La traviata. A rags-to-riches fairytale, from rural poverty to Parisian stardom, which ended in tragedy but gave rise to some of the most heart-wrenching and lyrical music ever composed. Weis has done a superior job of not only presenting the rags-to-riches story of Duplessis, but also of illuminating the distinct social issues at play that coalesced to create the platform for Verdi's famed masterwork.