Once again, the most unlucky opera production of the year, the Nekrosius-directed "Faust" (thank heavens it wasn't "La Forza") that has been marred by an amazing series of strikes and protests by la Scala's orchestra and chorus, keeps dragging the drama llama out of its stable.
The orchestra and chorus showed up once again in street clothes tonight (just like they did at la prima that Opera Chic saw), and Scala GM Stéphane Lissner probably had enough, finally. So he let the unions know that today will be considered by management to be a day of strike -- ie, chorus and orchestra will not be paid for today's work.
***update***
CGIL Union leader Giancarlo Albori explained to ANSA news agency that Lissner made his decision one hour before curtain, and the union "considers this to be blackmail, an irresponsible act unworthy of a real manager".
Go Lissner! He's playing hardball now! The drama never ends. That poor drama llama must be so tired :-)
Posted by: Kimmie | June 30, 2010 at 09:45 PM
They are dragging out the drama lama's corpse by now!
Posted by: Stefano | June 30, 2010 at 10:05 PM
Stefano, thanks for the laugh!
Posted by: Kimmie | June 30, 2010 at 10:35 PM
Please don't feed the drama llama! It will get sick from this junk food.
Posted by: Bill Philin-Ploplis | June 30, 2010 at 11:35 PM
Nekros(ius)=νεκρος should change his name if he wants to have a job on a permanent basis.
LOL!
Posted by: Nathan | June 30, 2010 at 11:42 PM
There has to be a joke about flogging a dead llama in here somewhere...
Posted by: Sandy | July 01, 2010 at 02:51 AM
Oh yeah Albori and the actions of you and your Union members are those of "responsible" people. Tell that to people who have come to Milan and paid an incredible amount of money to see you sabotage the event! Basta already your point - whatever the hell is was - has been made!
Posted by: WILLYM | July 01, 2010 at 08:57 AM
Sandy, I can do better: It ain't over 'til the flogged, dead drama llama sings!
Posted by: Putin | July 01, 2010 at 12:43 PM
Milan's major should immediately fire mr Lissner!
Posted by: don bartolo | July 01, 2010 at 03:17 PM
Whatever happened to the "fat lady"?
It's all over when the fat lady sings, no?
So they wanted beuatiful glamour girls as opera stars? This is what they get!
I'll take a fat lady.
Posted by: walter | July 01, 2010 at 04:33 PM
W the fat lady! We need her back!
Posted by: vale | July 01, 2010 at 07:29 PM
Sorry Don Bartolo, I repeat what I have said before - we may not like all the things that Lissner does but why should he be fired for this? It was a the current government that enacted the legislation. It is the unions that are playing silly buggers and if they were not going to stage the production as planned then he was only right to cancel it. What would you suggest he do - allow the travesty that OC saw happen again at E224.00 a a ticket??????
Posted by: WILLYM | July 01, 2010 at 11:30 PM
OC, I bow to your ability to work a David Foster Wallace reference into a story on La Scala
Posted by: JHC | July 02, 2010 at 06:02 PM