Once upon a mattress
La Cieca has just heard that the “flying bed”effect in the Met’s new production of Romeo et Juliette malfunctioned last night, sending Natalie Dessay tumbling six feet onto a hard platform and leaving Ramon Vargas dangling. The bed is suspended from “invisible” wires and appears to float in a starry sky, a tableau that opens the fourth act of the production. Before the curtain rose, the soprano and tenor were hoisted into their midair position, and then one of the wires snapped or slipped loose. The bed then overturned and dumped the hapless singers into space. The audience was told only that there was a “technical problem” backstage. After a delay, the act began with the bed already in place on the lower platform. A production insider says, “No one is ever going to get in that bed again. I’m sure the effect will be scrapped immediately.” May La Cieca make a modest suggestion? Perhaps, in order to avoid future accidents of this sort, the Met should engage someone in senior management with practical knowledge of stagecraft — say, a former carpenter?
GOOD GRIEF!
Poor Natalie, by now, must have decided Juliette was NOT a role she wants to perform. The fates are plotting against her. Does anyone have any reports to give as to howshe sounded? Did she manage to continue the performance after fallingf rom 6 feet in the air? She must have been at least a little shaken up!
I was there last night, and the bloom was off the rose in Acts IV and V (after a delightful Acts I-III from Dessay). I wondered what the ‘technical problems’ were that were taking so long. Both Dessay and Vargas should be commended for continuing after the mishap, but one could tell that the air had been taken out of the performances. It helps explain Dessay’s pained expression during the curtain call, as well.
Matt
tee hee.
I’m amazed, but I probably should not be! I recall reading that, when Joan Sutherland did La Sonnambula at the Met, she did not like the looks of the rickety bridge she was expected to cross in the sleepwalking scene. In fact, Sutherland refused to cross the bridge unless Met general manager Rudolf Bing tried it first! Once Bing walked across it safely, Sutherland was satisfied,
and she had no problems with the bridge during performances. Although I don’t think most GMs would be willing to act as stunt persons or crash test dummies, I certainly hope that the Met’s current Powers That Be will show at least as much concern for performers’ safety as they do for effects that dazzle the audience.
Also, what if that bed had fallen into the orchestra pit or the house, injuring even more people?
I’m sure that OSHA is interested in this one; if not, they ought to be!
I believe Jane Eaglen applied a similar technique for a production of Turandot she was in requiring her to sing “In questa reggia” from a rather high tower. I’m not entirely sure it’d be quite as effective, though, with her…specifications.
Speaking of Sonnambula and the overal state of opera stage safety (and sanity!?), I just posted a let’s not call it a review, uh, and “impression” of Wed. nights Baltimore Opera production of same.
It’s everything wrong with staging these days, and more. Read it and weep (some more), everyone.
Arrrrrggggghhh….
Re : Miss Eaglen’s Turandot in the current Serban production at Covent garden production the Turnadot made her first appearance crosslegged carried shoulder high in a litter. Not even the resources of the house could find 4 extras brave enough to carry the burden of Miss Eaglen so they resorted to a well engineered scaffolding tower (extra reinforced).
This had originally been intoduced for Sharon Sweet and the stagehands named it the “Sweet Trolly”. Will be interesting to see whether the new leaner meaner Andrea Gruber will adopt it in the coming revival.
Apparently the length of the fall (6 feet, I think) was a bit exaggerated. I understand the bed was raked a little too sharply for Ms. Dessay and she merely tumbled a few feet. I could be wrong, but this is how I heard it from a friend who works in the admin offices at the Met. We all know the game of telephone can lead to bad information, so consider that my disclaimer if I”ve got it wrong.
At least it wasn’t as bad as what happened to poor Rosa Mannion at E.N.O.
She was lying in the bed for the last act of traviata, Annina came on after/during the prelude sat on the bed which promptly collapsed.
Campbell, you have to remember that Violetta’s bed had endured quite a bit of use in earlier times…