Otello first night is cancelled as tenor and soprano fall sick
mainMadgeburg’s new production of Verdi’s Otello failed to open last night.
Aldo Di Toro (Otello) and Raffaela Lintl (Desdemona) both called in sick and the small town had no substitutes.
Photo: © Nilz Böhme
Karen Stone, the theatre’s director, put on Bohème instead.
I would not call Magdeburg a small town. The City has a population in excess of 230,000. I doubt even Covent Garden could continue on for an opening night of a new production with the Otello and Desdemona calling in sick on the day.
It’s relatively small – listed as the 32rd most populous city in Germany. 230,000 seems small if you are used to a city of several million. I bet Covent Garden could find subs. The Met had an understudy ready for Otello a few years ago.
https://nypost.com/2016/04/25/tenor-makes-metropolitan-opera-debut-in-jeans-and-a-t-shirt/
The ROH usually has two casts for the opening run of any new production. The Otello in 2017 was rehearsed with Kaufmann/Agresta and Kunde/Röschmann. And for the upcoming Forza we’ll be treated to Evyazov/Monastyrska if Kaufmann/Netrebko find something better to do on the night.
With Desdemona dressed like this, it is no wonder Otello didn’t trust her. Both Otello and Yago look like they have just come off shift driving city buses. So much for class distinctions and “looking the part”. One can only hope that singing and music at least partially compensate for what looks like yet another cheap regie effort
Very resourceful to have another opera ready for the emergency ! Brava Karen Stone and Magdeburg for saving the day.
How FANTASTIC that a theatre is able to put on an entirely different piece with so little notice – and knowing this Theater, the Boheme will have been smashing.