Met Opera Season Opens to Booing

The Met opened its season last night with Puccini's Tosca, by risk-taking Swiss-born director Luc Bondy. But opera is no place for risks, and according to the Times, the well-heeled audience booed the hell out of Bondy when he emerged at curtain call. The message from the Met audience was clear: Mess with our favorite classics again, and we will cut you up like Gilda in Rigoletto.

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By John Del Signore in Arts and Events on September 22, 2009 10:01 AM

Comments [rss]

John Kuhner

When the director thinks his ideas are more important than the music and story, then it's time for him to change his line of work or take up a pen and write an opera which expresses his ideas. Elsewise it's parasitism and deserves to be booed.

jchez

The singers and conductor got standing ovations. The director is the one who got booed. Deservedly so.

blondeinthecity

those who cant do, teach. those who cant sing... well, apparently they boo.

ides_of_march

Those who pay good money to see a performance are perfectly within their rights to boo if they're not satisfied.

zodak

stay classy met audience

Outter Burrougher

so they should just applaud no matter what? applause is meant to show appreciation and/or enjoyment. they recognized the skill of the performers of different types and then said that they didn't like the way those performers were utilized. nothing wrong with that.

ides_of_march

You should see the regulars at La Scala. They'd give the Yankee Stadium bleacher creatures a run for their money.

Mr Mel

Double play.

ides_of_march

You should see the regulars at La Scala. They'd give the Yankee Stadium bleacher creatures a run for their money.

OttoBloggo

Besides, the Franco Zeffirelli production was so very perfect. If it ain't broke....

ides_of_march

It's true, the Met isn't the proper venue for oddball or experimental productions of classic repertoire. That's best left to regional, government subsidized opera houses in Germany where they like to use pseudo-Star Trek sets and naked dancers.