Corriere della Sera carries an interview today with the thong-encased ballerino Roberto Bolle. The headline reads, “With Overcoat and Wig, Nobody Will Recognize Me This Time.”
The event of the article is that at 8:00 pm tonight , Bolle will debut at Teatro alla Scala in Rudolf Nureyev’s choreography of Tchaikovsky’s "The Nutcracker" (Lo schiaccianoci), playing both Drosselmeyer and the Prince. Opera Chic will not be able to see Bolle in his premiere, but instead will be in Parma tonight to listen to Maestro Esa-Pekka Salonen conduct Philharmonia. Opera Chic is already running late, so here are just a few quotes from the article:
Roberto on his performance tonight, “I will arrive on stage wearing an overcoat, a wig, shoes, pants, and with an eye patch. Nobody will recognize me until the end of Act I. Everybody will be like, ‘Where’s Bolle? I don’t know, maybe he will arrive later.’ The role of the mysterious Drosselmeyer, that I play at the beginning, is certainly the most interesting of the two. Then I also play the Prince, who is a concentration of sunny beauty and physical power. Two roles that are both difficult, and very complicated. In the Nureyev style.”
Roberto on his new fame, and performance in Aida, “The context of Aida justifies my costume there. Our art is very physical; today they compare me to Michelangelo’s David. Many discovered me at Aida. But it’s as if I’d never done anything before Aida!
Roberto on booing, “How would I react if the crowd booed me? It has never happened to me! In my shows, there’s an unusual amount of cheering for ballets’ standards. Two years ago, in Florence, for a performance of "The Nutcracker", during the final applause, the audience started lighting their cigarette lighters, like people do a the soccer stadiums! But if anyone booed me, I would never leave the stage. An artist must be a professional, and stay aware of his own role. I am appalled at Alagna’s coup de théâtre. I really don’t think it will help him in the end”
Roberto on an American debut, “I will try to conquer America, dancing at the NYC MET Opera House with the American Ballet and Ferri in Manon.”
Roberto on his personal life, “I’m not planning an engagement, nor planning a wedding. I only have few good friends.”
Some good news for all my tri-state, NYC readers! Are you ready for Bolle?