For those just tuning in, Roberto Alagna recently walked out of Aida at La Scala after being booed. The Guardian reports the tenor saying: "What if they had thrown stones at me, or some crazy person had
attacked me? La Scala should have protected me. The
show should have been suspended. Instead they carried on as if nothing
had happened. After all, John Lennon ended up being killed." To Dan Wakin of the NY Times Alagna has suggested that "three mysterious figures made karate chop motions at him outside the stage door beforehand." No word on whether anyone was seen holding an umbrella. La Cieca has a link to a video of the episode, replete with a brilliant high B at the end of "Celeste Aida." So he did sing bravissimo! Except that the aria is in B-flat. The look on Ildiko Komlosi's face when Antonello Palombi steps in is precious. Meanwhile, according to Opera Chic, questions are surfacing about Palombi's rapid entrance; he apparently outran another stand-in who was in costume. [Update: This story indicates that Palombi was the proper stand-in.] And La Scala ballet star Roberto Bolle, pictured, has inserted himself into the brawl, agreeing with a reporter's suggestion that Alagna has envy of his "physique and glutes." Bolle goes on: "But I have to concede that Alagna has shown great courage. He has been a genius in his folly; he gave us a coup de théâtre that will remain in history and that has captured the attention of the media." I'm speechless.
