Italian director's departure, frequent cast changes raise questions and audiences demand refunds, but ambitious W20B production continues amid turmoil
Despite the sudden departure of its director and ongoing tensions between the creative team and the Korean production company, the ambitious opera project "Again 2024 Turandot" pushes forward. However, frequent cast changes and growing audience dissatisfaction continue to overshadow the production's progress.
An avid classical concertgoer, surnamed Choi, who attended the opening performance of Puccini’s opera on Dec. 22 said that he would never attend a performance like this. “It was a total disaster. I don’t even know where to start. It was delayed. There was shouting. It was cold inside. Never, never again, 'Again Turandot,'” he wrote on social media.
The opening day show was delayed for more than 30 minutes as the production company decided to reduce the originally planned seating capacity from 6,800 seats to 4,000 seats at the last minute without any announcement. The organizers said they were forced to reduce the number of seats due to a flood of ticket cancellations, following the declaration of martial law on Dec. 3.
“The delay was caused because the organizer wanted to change the seats with sight line obstruction for the benefit of the audience. I apologize that the process was not smooth,” artistic director Park Hyun-joon said during an interview with a local TV station on Thursday.
Seats with obstructed views were priced as high as 500,000 won ($341). Park further stated that the audience should tolerate the inconvenience, as the two columns are an integral part of the stage design. These columns, extending from the ceiling to the floor and wrapped in LED panels, also limit the view for VIP ticket holders, who paid 1 million won, making it difficult for them to see the sides of the stage clearly.
Operagoers were quick to act. More than 310 people had gathered in an open chat group on the country's largest messenger app KakaoTalk, titled “Again Turandot Victims' Gathering” as of Thursday morning.
The members of the chat group were addressing several issues, including obstruction of sight line, last minute casting changes, lack of tiered seating, which was initially promised, and the quality of the performance.
The frequent changes to the cast also raised questions about the management of the production. According to a production company announcement, the conductor was changed from Paolo Carignani to Jose Cura for the opening day. Liudmyla Monastyrska was unable to obtain an exit permit from the Ukrainian government due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, leading to soprano Ewa Plonka stepping in as her replacement. Additionally, Irakli Kakhidze could not board his flight due to high blood pressure, and Aleksandrs Antonenko took his place as Calaf. On Dec. 28 and 30, Anastasia Boldyreva had to withdraw due to a scheduled medical procedure, and the stage will now feature Maria Guleghina.
In addition to the pre-announced casting changes, on Monday, the second day of performance, Antonenko (playing Calaf) experienced severe vocal issues after the first act. The replacement, Yusif Eyvazov, joined so hastily that he took part in the second act without any makeup. He returned for the third act with stage makeup, reflecting the urgency of the situation.
On Wednesday, Antonenko fell ill with a cold and was replaced by yet another singer, Brian Jagde.
“Before the performance on the 25th, an announcement was made stating that the actor playing Calaf had caught a severe cold and had left for Italy, and that another actor would be taking his place. I was so baffled that I couldn't help but laugh. It felt absurd -- almost as if they were mocking the audience. The idea of someone leaving the country because of a cold seemed utterly disrespectful to the audience,” a woman in her 30s, surnamed Chung, said in the group chat.
Meanwhile, Park stated that Davide Livermore and assistant director Carlo Sciaccaluga are demanding payment despite having made no meaningful contributions to the production. He accused Livermore and his team of ignoring clear instructions to recreate the essence of the 2003 performance and instead attempting to take the production in an entirely different direction. Additionally, Park criticized Italian opera insiders for exploiting the Korean market and condemned Livermore's team for insisting on guarantees without fulfilling their responsibilities.
In response, Livermore defended his integrity, rejecting the claims and accusing Park of restricting his artistic direction, forcing him to replicate Zhang Yimou's staging of the opera. Livermore emphasized that the final production does not represent his work.
The exchanges of claims and accusations also raised questions about the practice of creating a production boasting a renowned name.
At a press conference in June, Park stated that he had dedicated the past two years exclusively to preparing this production, aiming to present the grandeur of a large-scale opera not as a one-time event but as an ongoing experience. However, according to the conflicting accounts exchanged later, Sciaccaluga, Livermore's assistant who is responsible for the production, arrived in Seoul on Nov. 27 to attend the first rehearsal.
Park claimed that he offered Livermore an opportunity to incorporate his artistic vision into the production when Livermore himself arrived on Dec. 18, but the director demanded a guarantee.
According to both sides, Sciaccaluga only attended the first rehearsal. Sciaccaluga claims he decided not to further attend rehearsals because of a clear breach of contract for unpaid payment.
The dispute over the pay also raises the question of whether the audience expecting a Livermore-directed performance for a long time would have a chance to see his intended vision on stage, regardless of the director’s withdrawal.
"Again 2024 Turandot" is Park's ambitious project aimed at recreating the success of the 2003 outdoor opera performance in Seoul, boasting a substantial budget of 20 billion won ($13.8 million) and featuring a star-studded cast, including conductors Placido Domingo, Jose Cura, and Paolo Carignani, alongside sopranos Maria Guleghina and Asmik Grigorian, tenor Yusif Eyvazov, and baritone Brian Jagde.
The production commemorates the 100th anniversary of Puccini's death and celebrates the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Italy.
gypark@heraldcorp.com
