Grigolo: I just hugged a chorus member

Grigolo: I just hugged a chorus member

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norman lebrecht

October 03, 2019

Vittorio Grigolo received ovations for his La Scala performance as Nemorino in L’Elisir d’amore yesterday.

Afterwards he said: ‘There will always be gossip and words designed to sell more copies of a newspaper. After 20 years of intensive work and sacrifice, the audience at La Scala … let me know that I am loved for who I am – that is, exuberant in taking the applause… energetic. I hugged some members of the chorus this evening, so I hope I won’t be having any more problems.’

Grigolo was sent home by Covent Garden and sacked by the Met after an alleged incident with a chorus member.

Comments

  • sam says:

    Who was conducting, Gatti?

  • Alan says:

    It doesn’t matter. The next victim has been lined up. Stay in Europe and away from the UK and the USA. Whether you’re a murderer or a jaywalker you’ll get the same treatment.

  • cym says:

    « … Just a Grigolo … »

  • Vienna calling says:

    He still doesn’t get it. ‘Not everybody loves you, not everybody wants to be hugged by you.’ Why is that so hard to understand?

    • Karl says:

      People could just tell him that they don’t like physical contact and if he doesn’t respect that then it’s harassment. He can’t be expected to read people’s minds.

      • anon says:

        The simplest approach is to *assume* people do not like physical contact unless and until intimated otherwise. Why should the onus be upon people who dislike physical contact to tell everybody *in advance*?

        Greeting protocol is very simple: extend your right hand in front of you towards the person whom you are greeting, and wait for him/her to either shake hands or indicate that he/she would rather not.

    • Lk says:

      These days everything is so politically correct you cannot even look at a person cose it will be called harassment ..

  • Antonio. Lucido says:

    Vittorio Grigolo he is my favorite tenor and one the best, from the first time I saw him on P B S I liked him so much and I still love him for is personality and most of all for his beautiful voice.

  • Z says:

    I won’t necessarily say “sacked by the Met”. He has been suspended for sure, and his name removed from the “La Traviata” performances. However, the artist for Alfredo remains “TBA”, and Peter Gelb’s words are “not welcome unless ROH clears his name” which is not definitive yet.

    Accuracy, accuracy.

  • Ms.Melody says:

    “I hugged some members of the chorus this evening..”
    For his sake I hope it was with signed consent.

    • Karl says:

      He’s a big star so the consent could be coerced. Famous people shouldn’t be allowed to touch anyone other than other equally famous people.

    • dpubke-sharp says:

      And what would you know about working in theatres?

    • Saxon Broken says:

      He didn’t get sacked by the ROH for hugging a chorus member. There was an investigation and the disciplinary procedure found that he sexually assaulted the chorus member.

  • sam says:

    The problem is western culture: hugging.

    Civilized people bow.

    Stand 3 feet apart. Bow.

  • Larry W says:

    A hug mistake. Not all female singers and dancers want the attention or intention of a man.

  • Tishadoll says:

    The ‘Girl Power’ movement has got completely out of hand in the States. Just ask any mother who has sons

    • Laurence says:

      Are these anonymous mothers? I demand their names!!! (By the way, there is no such thing as a “Girl Power” movement in the states. I think women there prefer to be called “women”.)

      • tishadoll says:

        They most certainly not anonymous mothers. The Anglo Saxon hatred
        For men for feminists is vile. They can’t imagine a man is sexy and brilliant. It doesn’t even come up. We must be sexy and stupid
        . This is the problem with ‘Girl Power.

    • Karl says:

      Female misogynists and rape apologists! They have formed groups called FACE (Families Advocating for Campus Equality), and Save Our Sons to combat unfair policies that discriminate against men on college campuses. How dare they!

    • Tishadoll says:

      What hysterical nonsense. PURE Freud. He was never wrong

  • George says:

    I can’t believe we are actually discussing hugging on stage now. Thank you “social media”.

    • Edgar says:

      I can’t believe it either. Yet am sure there are plenty of lawyers raking in tons of money. If I were Grigolo, I’d demand that there be at least three of my attorneys onstage as supernumeraries, whether required by the production or not, and around me off stage at all times, so as to be able to nip any potential accusations in the butt (Oops! I shouldn’t have said that!).

      Enter the US at your own risk. This pertains to any and all travelers, not only performing artists or Muslims.

  • Y says:

    I don’t suppose hugging is a problem, but this is grigolo trying to make light of groping – which is different.

  • Maurice Hart says:

    Are you just rich lesbian mothers of extremely rich brilliant doctors from some god
    Forsayen place like Evansville IN”
    .

  • V.Lind says:

    Never mind. He knows he is loved for who he is.

    How self-satisfying that must be.

  • Alphonse says:

    This is utter insanity. Time to move to Greenland.

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