NYTimes story on Petition that wants Met Gala dedicated to gay rights- Bart Sher statement

[vf]

Posted: 8/20/13 at 11:56am

Sorry if this is not OK here since it's opera, but Bart Sher is quoted. Don't know how a dedication of the gala to a cause like this hurts the Met, other people were proposing a boycott of the gala. The only problem I guess is with the absurd laws in Russia now, maybe it would be problematic for Putin supporters Anna Netrebko and Valery Gergiev to attend the gala. Well, you lie down with dogs you get up with fleas. BTW, Gergiev is also conducting the next Met opera, another Russian one, The Nose, starring Paulo Szot.
Petition Wants Met Gala Dedicated to Gay Rights

[PalJoey]

Posted: 8/20/13 at 12:12pm

Anna Netrebko's statement:

“As an artist, it is my great joy to collaborate with all of my wonderful colleagues, regardless of their race, ethnicity, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. I have never and will never discriminate against anyone.”

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 8/20/13 at 12:17pm

Not okay here because it's opera? Why, many famous opera concession stand cleaners post here!

[tazber]

Posted: 8/20/13 at 12:28pm

^^^
And they are always sticking their invisible necks in everybody's business.

Updated On: 8/20/13 at 12:28 PM

[vf]

Posted: 8/20/13 at 5:27pm

Well, guess it's OK to discuss it. Maybe this is bad timing for the Met, there's another Russian language opera scheduled, Prince Igor, so maybe this season is a big year for Russian repertoire http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/season/index.aspx?nav=top Maybe the Met doesn't want to offend Russian opera goers or even Russian donors. To think that such a star as Netrebko had to word that statement so carefully, burying gay rights in with 4 other kinds of rights, is absurd. This is all so absurd, I wish William Kentridge, who is interested in oppression and the denial of people's rights from his years living in South Africa could work some part of this into his production of The Nose. Those youtubes and photos of what's happening to people in Russia are chilling.

Well, it would be pretty pathetic if the Des Moines Symphony dedicated it's all Russian opener to gay rights and the Met didn't (you can vote!)
http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2013/08/20/should-the-des-moines-symphony-dedicate-its-all-russian-opener-to-gay-rights/article

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 8/20/13 at 6:52pm

If I were Netrebko's dresser, I'd make she tripped on the train. If I were her lighting technician, I'd kill the spot. If I were a musician, I'd play the aria in a different key. Wake up, honey. Look around you. Take a stand.

I normally can appreciate separating our art from our politics, but not with this. It's all gone too far and every morning another link, another video, another story... It's too much. Is she too cowardly to speak up? Or does she just not care?

[PalJoey]

Posted: 8/20/13 at 8:21pm

She spoke up. By including the words "sexual orientation" in her statement, she is breaking the law.

She risked arrest with that statement.

What have YOU done?

[OperaBwayLover]

Posted: 8/20/13 at 9:06pm

vf, the Met seasons are often planned a few years in advance. I'd just say it's bad timing.

[vf]

Posted: 8/21/13 at 3:23pm

I know opera seasons are planned years in advance.

I don't get why PalJoey said: "By including the words "sexual orientation" in her statement, she is breaking the law.

She risked arrest with that statement." I haven't read anywhere that what she said was particularly risky, the NYTimes would have mentioned it in it's reference to what she said. But it still shows how absurd the whole thing is, that she could only say something so vague. The question isn't about her discriminating against people anyway. And to claim oh she's taking a risk is kind of crazy when she's the one who backed the guy known for being a real threat to any opponents.

Putin wasn't exactly an unknown quantity when they backed him in the last "election." Maybe they didn't know he would support something like this, but considering the things he's been associated with in the past (that murdered journalist gets mentioned repeatedly) there was going to be some really bad stories coming out of Russia once he was back in power. Look at this story from a couple of weeks ago about all the Russian businessmen who have been thrown into prison http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/09/business/global/russias-stimulus-plan-open-the-gulag-gates.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Gergiev is the highest paid musician in Russia, but he gets a big boost from owning a share of a turkey factory http://rbth.ru/news/2013/07/31/symphony_conductor_is_russias_wealthiest_musician_28531.html
His income dwarfs other classical conductors https://www.sfcv.org/article/worlds-best-conductor-as-measured-in-rubles
He had a big jump in income last year when he got into the turkey business, where does such a busy conductor find the time??? Maybe he had to get into bed with Putin to get his beloved Marinsky theatre going, but getting such a hefty income raise after doing a commercial for Putin kind of stinks. http://www.therestisnoise.com/2012/03/gergiev-endorses-putin.html

Personally, I think all this is the stuff of opera. Even when new operas are composed these days they're usually about the past, why not try to be relevant rather than try to convince people that ancient Italian history (or whatever) is relevant to us today? Someone should compose an opera about Litvinenko, poisoned in 2006 by radiation in the middle of London with polonium likely to have come from Russian government reactors (happened during Putin's previous presidential term) Litvinenko was accusing Putin of ordering the murder of that journalist. The UK has gotten nowhere trying to prosecute, the likely suspect went back to Russia and got elected to the Duma which gave him immunity (however he'll never be able to leave Russia, which is some punishment) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Litvinenko
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Litvinenko_poisoning

Don't mean to be flip about this being the stuff of opera comment, the youtubes and photos of what's been happening to people in Russia are horrifying.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 8/21/13 at 3:46pm

I don't get why PalJoey said: "By including the words "sexual orientation" in her statement, she is breaking the law.

Because it is true. By including the words "sexual orientation" in her statement, she can be prosecuted for propagandizing for homosexuality.

You'll notice that Gergiev has not made a similar statement.

Until you walk in her shoes and comprehend what she risks by making that statement, your understanding of the complexity of this situation is superficial, to say the least.

[MikeInTheDistrict]

Posted: 8/21/13 at 4:15pm

I don't understand why this would be considered "bad timing for the Met" to schedule Eugene Onegin. The fact that Tchaikovsky was gay and suffered immense psychological turmoil as a result of his sexuality (some speculate his mysterious and untimely death was a suicide or coerced) makes this a perfect opportunity to perform this work. Much of his music is laced with tears and melancholy. There are even bits of The Nutcracker that are achingly tragic.

Updated On: 8/21/13 at 04:15 PM

[D2]

Posted: 8/21/13 at 4:54pm

"But since our mission is artistic, it is not appropriate for our performances to be used by us for political purposes, no matter how noble or right the cause."

As a non-profit, Mr. Gelb is protecting The Metropolitan Opera Association, and he is right to do so: The Met could be stripped of its non-profit status if they took a stand. And unfortunately, arts organizations in this country are far more vulnerable to losing their 501-C3 status than, say, a church, when it comes to stuff like that.

Which, of course, is a whole other can of creepy, crawly worms.

[nycmusical]

Posted: 8/21/13 at 11:20pm

The timing could not be more perfect since their second russian opera "The Nose", opening next month at the Met, starring Paulo Szot is exactly about living the nightmare of being different inside a rotten society in St Petersburg.. It's based on Gogol's book. Shostakovich wrote the music and it was banned from russian theaters for decades since it criticizes their society so badly.

The Met might not accept the petition to dedicate the Gala to gay artists but
on both first russian titles of the season, gay community is being alredy represented :

E. Onegin - composed by P.Tchaikovsky (gay)
tittle role - Mariusz Kwiecien (gay)
The Nose - book by Gogol (gay)
leading man - Paulo Szot (gay)






Updated On: 8/21/13 at 11:20 PM

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 8/21/13 at 11:40pm

I would think this has nothing to do with Russian artists or operas and all to do with the Met's neocon patrons the Koch Brothers.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 8/22/13 at 10:10am

Sorry. I was away from the computer all day and didn't mean to ignore your response, PalJoey.

On some level, I can respect what you're saying. But until these artists and athletes and people in the position to influence change start speaking up, it's just gonna be all of us kvetching with Harvey.

It pissed me off that she was so vague about it. I don't know. This whole thing is so sickening (not just the Met Gala, obviously) that sometimes I don't even know what to think anymore. It's all so sad and scary.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 8/22/13 at 10:11am

I didn't know Paulo Szot was gay. Hallelujah! (Call me, Paulo.)

Also, hernik, I thought the same exact thing when I was reading the article.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 8/22/13 at 11:36am

Well, maybe if you educated yourself instead of simply getting pissed off at what you think is vague, your posts would be more intelligent.

And you'd know that Paulo Szot has been out and proud and has a longtime partner.

[AnthVoice2010]

Posted: 8/22/13 at 12:25pm

Forget the Met, I want to see the petition formed by fourth rate cabaret critics with stalking tendencies and delusions of grandeur so intense that their own friends laugh at him...


That would put Putin in his place...

Updated On: 8/22/13 at 12:25 PM

[AC126748]

Posted: 8/22/13 at 12:30pm

Is Anna Netrebko still a Russian citizen? I thought she became a citizen of Austria or Germany several years ago.

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 8/22/13 at 12:37pm

Why are you being so incredibly nasty? I DO educate myself, and I read these articles and stories every single day. I didn't know Paulo was gay because it didn't matter to me either way. That doesn't make me uneducated.