Opera house drops production that ridicules world leaders
ROME (AP) -- La Scala opera house has canceled a production of Bernstein's "Candide" that includes a scene with actors dancing in underwear while wearing masks of world leaders including President Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
La Scala said in a statement that the decision was made after artistic director Stephane Lissner watched a performance Tuesday at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris.
The opera, scheduled for nine performances in June and July, "was not in line with La Scala's artistic program," the theater said in a statement. It did not elaborate.
In the production directed by Robert Carsen of Canada, actors wear masks of Blair, Bush, former Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, French President Jacques Chirac and Russian President Vladimir Putin as they dance in their underwear, wearing ties featuring their national flags.
Cella said Carsen's production largely modified Bernstein's original work, including inserting new dialogue, and that the final product "rather than being close to the original, is based on it to create a peculiar work."
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