New York Metropolitan Opera stars, fearing radiation, skip Japan tour(avoid-jin?)

Japan Today ^ | 05/31/11

[TigerLikesRooster]

New York Metropolitan Opera stars, fearing radiation, skip Japan tour

Tuesday 31st May, 03:55 PM JST

TOKYO —

Two of the biggest stars of New York’s Metropolitan Opera have bowed out of a Japan tour, citing fears of radioactive contamination and sending the company scrambling to find last-minute stand-ins.

Soprano Anna Netrebko and tenor Joseph Calleja announced just days before the opening show that they would not join the tour of Nagoya and Tokyo despite experts’ assurances they would be safe, forcing the Met to “scour the world” for replacements, general manager Peter Gelb said Tuesday.

“Part of what makes opera such an exciting art form is that it is so unpredictable,” Gelb said. “If there were a rationality clause in opera singers’ contracts, not many opera singers would perform.”

[TigerLikesRooster]

“Part of what makes opera such an exciting art form is that it is so unpredictable,” Gelb said. “If there were a rationality clause in opera singers’ contracts, not many opera singers would perform.”

Very lame talking point.

[TigerLikesRooster]

P!

[AmericanInTokyo]

PATHETIC

[sillsfan]

No loss.
The current group of opera “stars” today, would barely be in the second run of an opera 50 years ago (if at all.)
Ironically, opera today is all about a singer’s appearance and minimally, their singing.

“trebs” is a great example of that. The MET Bolena should be a complete mess. Sills, Sutherland and Callas will either be laughing their heads off in heaven, or rolling over in their graves.
Povero Donizetti!

[bgill]

If they don't want to go because they think it's going to go boom or they're worried about radiation levels in the air and food or dust or simply because it's Tuesday, then that's their prerogative. But the last minute bow out is irresponsible.

[ml/nj]

“Part of what makes opera such an exciting art form is that it is so unpredictable,” Gelb said

Unless maybe Gelb knew all along that Netrebko (rumors say she's with child) wasn't going to go to Japan, but she agreed to allow the Met to use her name to build interest.

ML/NJ

[onedoug]

Next time, bring a mezzo and a basso-profundo.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Are these the very same jackasses who went to NORTH KOREA, and stayed overnight at a location much closer to North Korean's illicit nuke plant at Yangbyong, completely devoid of IAEA inspectors and cameras, whereas if they were in Tokyo and particularly Nagoya that would considerably far, and would be like being in Washington D.C. compared to New York City, distance-wise?

These people are idiots and are embarrassing. I wonder if we could write them to come give a concert to some of the 43,000 American troops stationed here, some of them at Misawa AB up north, considerably close to Fukushima but in no danger whatsoever.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Wasn’t it NY Philharmonic Orchestra? Anyway, I doubt that they will come, either. I am sure that Greenpeace folks have been brainwashing them a few dozen times over by now.

[Iris7]

You have good taste. Sutherland and Sills were great voices.