Some Pittsburgh opera fans jeer plan to honor governor

Some Pittsburgh opera fans jeer plan to honor governor

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Phantom of the Opera is fine, but Gov. Tom Corbett apparently isn’t.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports today that opera fans are protesting the Pittsburgh Opera’s plan to give Corbett a Lifetime Achievement Award this Saturday.

The paper says some opera fans think it is “deplorable” to honor Corbett, a Republican who’s aggressively cut state spending to deal with a large budget deficit.

The Pittsburgh Opera says in statements that Corbett and his wife, Susan, have long supported opera and arts funding.

Over 300 people have questioned the award on the opera’s Facebook page, and a local blogger says her post on the subject has gotten over 4,000 hits in the last day.

Corbett spokesman Kevin Harley says the governor and first lady are thrilled about the award.