2 Headstrong Singers + 1 Conductor Unfamiliar with the Score = 1 Lost Cause?
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La Cieca hears that Glimmerglass Opera is about to announce the name of its next General Director. Shockingly, it’s neither an actual Brit nor someone currently associated with NYCO, ya know.
La Cieca hopes all will be well. We must be patient; but I cannot choose but weep when I hear that soprano is going to cancel her appearances in that new Met production.
Which sour face has suddenly reappeared at the Met because the board wants the toughest possible representation during upcoming union negotiations?
Which famous family may be first in line to attend the Met’s Hansel and Gretel next week?
Which married divo and “adored” diva were seen playing grab-ass as they left the canteen, presumably to return to rehearsal, only to lose their way for at least 20 minutes, evoking a frantic call over the house wire imploring their return to level C?
Which complex new staging has the Met crew jumping through hoops? The resulting backstage congestion may result in the draft of an estranged director for a comeback!
Which A-list Dirigent is currently unwinding in a private facility, singing duets with himself? Which opera company’s usually jovial antegenerale audience erupted into a lion’s den of booing when the maestro took his bow? (By the way, the tenor bought it too.)
Which blotto basso had a hell of a time in the first part of that French opera, stumbling, forgetting words, and even losing his voice temporarily? Fortunately, after an intermission featuring hot coffee, a cold shower and a stern tongue-lashing from management, he was reborn as the superb singing actor we all know and love…
Which diva has been dicking around the presenters of that gala by refusing to decide on a single thing: what she’ll sing, whom she’ll sing with, or even whether she’ll sing at all?
Which operatic A-lister — not scheduled to appear at the Met until next year — is going to offer New York a wonderful surprise return next week?
La Cieca has been warned to expect a shoe to drop (or should she say “shoes?) at the Met later today.
Which “gay” cougar has been showering her tenor colleague with even more affection offstage than on? (And, no, despite the clues, there are no homosexuals anywhere in this item.)
Which operatic legend intends to breeze into New York later this month to assess the work of his successor?
Which merry blonde is about to waltz her way into the sovrintendente’s office at a top Italian theater? Come on, all! Hey, you can guess this one — even without a degree from the oldest university in Europe!
Which recent cancellation really has nothing to do with the music, and everything to do with the fact that the stars don’t want to play a couple onstage when offstage they will soon be an ex-pair (in the legal sense)?
Which opera company may find itself the target of criticism since they are requiring singers to fly to New York to audition for their new stage “director” — a big name who has never directed anything more complicated than a runway show?
Which soprano’s knee injury is fermenting trouble for her highly-awaited appearances in New York this spring? Let’s hope the company is ready with a rescue team!
Which diva predictably arrived late for rehearsal of her spot on the Met’s 125th Anniversary Gala? I’m sure the tardy singer did not laugh to see that another diva had already launched her comeback by sight-reading the aria from the prompter’s score!
Which undeniably talented artist (of a race La Cieca affects to despise) had to be shushed repeatedly during a recent Metropolitan Opera performance because he was loudly laughing and dishing what was transpiring onstage? Perhaps this scruffy fellow’s obstreperous behavior can be blamed on his overindulgence in preshow cocktails — the fumes of which, one hears, were…
Which American diva now wields so much clout that she can demand (and get!) a flashy new finale to the opera she’s world-premiering — even though the suicide scene is alien to the the spirit (not to mention the letter) of the celebrated source material?
As has happened at least once before, cher public, La Cieca went out on a limb and made a wrong prediction. Thank goodness in this case she only went with a blind item — so at least she hasn’t a whole egg on her face.
There’s a rumor that’s been sort of meandering around for the past few weeks in vague will o’ the wisp format concerning the New York City Opera. (As if anything about that company right now is anything but vague, but still…) So here goes. One of the restructuring models that La Cieca keeps hearing about…
UPDATE: La Cieca’s going to go out on a limb here and say that at the very least George Steel will be offered the direction of NYCO. Industry insiders are whispering that a certain impresario who recently upgraded his career from uptown new music maven to regional opera honcho may be about to prove that he is…
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