It’s official: Elizabeth Futral will sing the role of Ophélie in Washington National Opera’s production of Hamlet, replacing Diana Damrau who, according to the company’s press release, “is pregnant with her first child [and] has been advised by her doctors to avoid strenuous activity and air travel, thus preventing her from being in Washington.”
Per the Met’s press office: “In this evening’s performance of Rossini’s Armida, Barry Banks will sing the role of Gernando, replacing José Manuel Zapata, who is ill. Banks will also sing the role of Carlo, which he was already scheduled to perform.”
Remember those figures you read yesterday in the New York Times citing salaries of the heads of the Metropolitan Opera, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and New York City Opera? Well, not so much. In fact, Zarin Mehta‘s reported compensation was off by only 230%. [NYT]
They are actually doing this, my dears, and with that cast! And it’s staged! Any cher pube in the environs of Liège next June is begged, entreated, and cajoled to give us a fuller report!
La Cieca just heard that Diana Damrau has canceled her engagement in Hamlet with the Washington National Opera. Heading the “star-studded” cast for this production will now be Liam Bonner / Michael Chioldi, TBA, Samuel Ramey, Elizabeth Bishop and John Tessier.
Congratulate yourselves, cher public, as another parterre turn of phrase has entered the general lexicon.
Cher Public