Maestro, a new BBC2 reality TV show that premieres tonight in the UK, seems to have a huge potential for the lulz0rz:
I am sitting in the front row at St Cyprian's Church in Central London watching a rehearsal for this new series, which begins tonight. A group of celebrities, all mentored by professionals, have gathered to practise conducting the Covent Garden Orchestra through three demanding pieces: Brahms's Academic Overture, the First Movement of Beethoven's First Symphony and the Third Movement of Tchaikovsky's Fifth. Despite the challenging nature of the work, the trainees are having the time of their lives.
In each episode of the six-week series, the eight celebrities – drum and bass star Goldie, actress Jane Asher, comedian Sue Perkins, actor Bradley Walsh, newsreader Katie Derham, TV presenter Peter Snow, actor David Soul and pop musician Alex James – will have to conduct a full orchestra in front of a live studio audience. Each week, one will be voted off by an expert judging panel. The victor will win the chance to conduct the BBC Concert Orchestra in front of an audience of 30,000, live on BBC2 at the Proms in the Park, as part of the Last Night of the Proms celebrations on 13 September.
Opera Chic's advice: if you realize that you simply suck at conducting, just say that you created a historically-informed performance, and you might save your unmusical, tone-deaf a$$.
In the photo above, comedian Wilhelm "Big Willy" Furtwaengler, winner of the 1918 "Krazy Dirigent" reality radio show on "Radio Free Deutschland".
(link via the always cool Classical Notes)