Is She Right To Be Upset?

[ladybirder]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11020497/US-soprano-pulls-Italian-opera-amid-blackface-row.html

What do you think?

[Bobbisox1]

Sounds like she’s a bit of a Diva to me, I’m sure she’ll be replaced

[Ken4155]

Is she not entitled to her own opinion? Thought 'Blackface' was a thing of the past?

[pimplyteen]

No.

[david small]

Prima Donna?

[douglas9401]

Archaic or traditional, all open to interpretation I'd say.

If she doesn't want the work then some other big-lunged chanter will be glad of the gig.

In the meantime she can do the rounds of various talk and news programmes, venting her spleen to an audience which more than likely agrees with her standpoint thereby soothing her fevered brow and justifying her behaviour.

Nobody died.

[Prudie]

Well one has to choose which side of the fence you sit on and then stay there. Those who think she has every right to be annoyed should be equally defensive of James Bond always being played by a white man and argue against casting someone of colour or a woman. They aren't though...

[ladybirder]

As this is in a different opera to the one she is starring in I don't see what it has to do with her. I just wondered if many black people would be offended.

For those who don't know, Anna Netrebko, the singer she is talking about, is IMO the most famous soprano singing in the world today so I doubt she'll be bothered.

I remember my first opera when my son took me to the RoH Covent Garden to see Madame Butterfly. It was not a Japanese soprano in the title role.

[Prudie]

Yes LB I'm not clear if it was just the blacking up she objected to and would have been happy for the Russian to sing the role or is she saying Aida can only be played by an African and Madam Butterfly by a Japanese singer. It would severely limit her own repertoire if that were the case.

[naomi24]

She’s pulled out of La Traviata? Whatever was she thinking when she accepted the role of a white European? Shame on her!

And double shame on her for spoiling the wonderful Verona arena with such nonsense.

[Old_Geezer]

No one should tell her what she may or may not get upset about. If she opts not to grow up but prefers to get in a strop about make-up, that's up to her. But she should bear in mind that her profession in the theatre has tended to use a lot of greasepaint. Maybe she's in the wrong job and right to get out.

[Ken4155]

She wasn't objecting to a white woman playing the role though, was she. She was objecting to the white woman blacking up to play the role. Different kettle of fish altogether.

[naomi24]

So what? Actors pretend to be someone else. It’s their job. Time this rubbish stopped.

[Old_Geezer]

Not if the character is a dark skinned character. Then make-up would be needed should a non-dark skinned actress/singer played them. The black up nonsense is just a feeble excuse to try to ban certain folk from the role.

[Ken4155]

Breaking news; Idris Elba is to star as he next James Bond. However, to keep with tradition, he is going to 'white-up' to play the role.

[pastafreak]

I thought blackface was a thing of the past? I guess not.

[tiggerblue10]

There was a lot of objections from the public and media when a black actor played the part of Anne Boleyn.

[Old_Geezer]

Maybe she forgot to white up, tigger. Anne Boleyn was a historical character with, as far as I am aware, a lighter skin colour. In which case criticism would be justified (especially if it was suspected she was only selected to push a woke agenda).

[douglas9401]

Uproar at the local livestock market today when one farmer tried to sell blackface ewes.