Speaking of people what have “ridden that streetcar,” Antipodean diva Cheryl Barker‘s sudden withdrawal from Opera Australia’s first new production of Tosca in almost three decades seems to be based on her objection to the staging by Christopher Alden.

According to yesterday’s (or possibly tomorrow’s) Sydney Morning Herald, the soprano “raised her concerns” about Alden’s “grubby” (and leapless) envisioning of the work prior to her dropping out of the production last month. Our Own Takesha Meshé Kizart (who sang this production in Britain last year) will jump in, or in this case, not jump in.