[carton253]

In this case, it serves them right. The opera company's production included the severed heads of Jesus, Moses, and Mohammad for one reason... not freedom of expression or artistic license...but to court controversy.

Well, they got it buckets...and guess what...they did not have guts to see it through.

The addition of the these heads added nothing to the opera...the loss of them would not have diminished it.

It got cancelled...well good!

[Stoat]

In this case, it serves them right. The opera company's production included the severed heads of Jesus, Moses, and Mohammad for one reason... not freedom of expression or artistic license...but to court controversy.

Well, they got it buckets...and guess what...they did not have guts to see it through.

All very true, but I'm wondering if this was not the plan to begin with?  Would it be possible that it was the intention to 'announce' the heavily-modified production in order to get lots of press and then to cancel it in a show of 'cultural sensitivity'....and then put on the 'real' opera, minus the heads, that they had wanted to produce all along anyway? (with sold-out shows as a bonus)

Do we know for sure that the fake severed heads had indeed been created and they actually had all of this in motion to actually put it forth?  Had the actors done rehearsals for this particular version, or was this all just talk?

My question arises because I cannot conceive of anybody being so utterly, pathologically STUPID as to think that such an opera would NOT create a huge flap.

I can't imagine the opera's board of directors at their meeting, approving such an opera and greenlighting the production and having it move forward only to be cancelled some time later by someone who "just realized' that it 'might be a problem'.

I'm usually not one to embrace conspiracy theories and the like, but something smells fishy here.

If you were on the opera's board of directors, wouldn't you instantly realize that something of this nature would be highly inflammatory?

I'm no opera company director and I would have seen the problem instantly......I wouldn't set it in motion, oblivious of such an obvious fact.

In this case, it serves them right. The opera company's production included the severed heads of Jesus, Moses, and Mohammad for one reason... not freedom of expression or artistic license...but to court controversy.

Well, they got it buckets...and guess what...they did not have guts to see it through.

All very true, but I'm wondering if this was not the plan to begin with?  Would it be possible that it was the intention to 'announce' the heavily-modified production in order to get lots of press and then to cancel it in a show of 'cultural sensitivity'....and then put on the 'real' opera, minus the heads, that they had wanted to produce all along anyway? (with sold-out shows as a bonus)

Do we know for sure that the fake severed heads had indeed been created and they actually had all of this in motion to actually put it forth?  Had the actors done rehearsals for this particular version, or was this all just talk?

My question arises because I cannot conceive of anybody being so utterly, pathologically STUPID as to think that such an opera would NOT create a huge flap.

I can't imagine the opera's board of directors at their meeting, approving such an opera and greenlighting the production and having it move forward only to be cancelled some time later by someone who "just realized' that it 'might be a problem'.

I'm usually not one to embrace conspiracy theories and the like, but something smells fishy here.

If you were on the opera's board of directors, wouldn't you instantly realize that something of this nature would be highly inflammatory?

I'm no opera company director and I would have seen the problem instantly......I wouldn't set it in motion, oblivious of such an obvious fact.