Which stage director—who, incidentally, has a smash hit on Broadway at the moment—has been blackballed from at least two return engagements at the Met because of a kerfuffle with a conductor? It’s only a rumor, but La Cieca hears that the massive set for this director’s critically-praised Met production hampered the placement of a couple of large offstage percussion instruments, a situation which left the maestro none too pleased!