A large crowd packed into the ornate Detroit Opera House on Friday, weaving up and down its grand staircases and into theater seats for an emotional salute to the life and legacy of Dr. David DiChiera, a local impresario, staunch advocate for the arts, and the founding director of the Michigan Opera Theatre.

Family, friends and fans headed into “the house David built” for a public visitation beginning at 11 a.m. Inside, guests ambled down to the area in front of the stage, where a spotlight illuminated a casket topped with red, white and purple flowers.