Opera Chic EXCLUSIVE Please Credit operachic.typepad.com Terry Gilliam Withdrew From Scala Engagement Due To Schedule Conflict. Andrea Chenier Still Directorless, May Be Scrapped From Scala Program

Take the drama llama back to the stalls, says writer/director/genius Terry Gilliam's London-based agent, Mel Kenyon, one of the directors at Casarotto Ramsay and Associates, Ltd.

Opera Chic still gets queries regarding the unfortunate cancellation of Mr. Gilliam's La Scala collaboration to direct a new staging of Andrea Chenier at La Scala in June 2008. OC broke the news of the contractual dissolve here, and we've been crying over our cups of Fortnum & Mason finest Japanese sencha ever since.

According to la splendida Signora Mel Kenyon, who represents geniuses for a living, since she's also Mark Ravenhill's agent, and she was the agent of the late great Sarah Kane,

"Mr Gilliam had to withdraw due to the fact his film started shooting much later than anticipated and therefore he simply was not going to be available for the Milan dates."

He's currently directing The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, a fantasy-adventure film staring Tom Waits & Heath Ledger, with a release date in 2009 (krazy Gilliamesque photo above...and a photo of the man/myth/legend below). The La Scala slot for Andrea Chenier this 2007-08 season has been riddled with problems, with new rumors surfacing recently that the entire production will be shelved in favor of Madama Butterfly. 

Whateve.r ... as long as i have my F&M Japanese sencha we can wait to see what happens next.

 

Comments

[number five alive]

Not to be a troublemaker, but I was hoping for some high drama. Like Terry Gilliam asked for some tea at the congratulatory Andrea Chenier lunch and Lissner offered him some Tetley.

[Miguel]

God I love Terry Gilliam. Thanks for the update, OC. If anyone can get the skinny, it's you.

[Caparn]

I for one am also upset that Gilliam pulled out of the production. I'm a huge fan of the whole Monty Python movement, and was really looking forward to your thorough coverage of Chenier at la Scala.