Gheorghiu Withdraws from FAUST at the Met; McAnuff Responds

Two time Tony Award-winning director Des McAnuff was again nominated for a Tony in 2006 the hit JERSEY BOYS, which detailed the ups and downs of the creation of The Four Seasons. Now he's embroiled in a real life creative drama surrounding his latest project, a new version of "Faust" at the Metropolitan Opera.

Although Angela Gheorghiu was set to star in the production, she withdrew due to what her manager calls "artistic reasons"; in this version of the classic, the setting will be modern, taking place in the 20th century as opposed to the usual staging of the 16th century. This shift is being cited as Gheorghiu's reason for leaving the production.

McAnuff told the New York Times that Gheorghiu had given no indication prior to leaving that she was dissatisfied, saying that "She seemed intrigued. It was all a go." He added that the two had met and the idea was received positively by the singer. "She had the opportunity to withdraw then if she had chosen to."

Gheorghiu made her Met debut in 1993 as Mimì in La Bohème and has excelled in such mainstays of the Met repertory as Micaëla in Carmen, Marguerite in Faust, Liù in Turandot, and Amelia in Simon Boccanegra. In 2008, Gheorghiu, together with tenor Roberto Alagna and the Met Orchestra, gave a wildly popular free concert in Brooklyn's Prospect Park before a crowd of thousands. Gheorghiu was also featured in the Met's landmark 125th Anniversary Gala on March 15, 2009, singing an aria from Faust and a duet from Simon Boccanegra, opposite Plácido Domingo.

Marina Poplavskaya will make her Met role debut replacing Gheorghiu in the initial run of performances of the Met's new production of Gounod's Faust this fall. Poplavskaya was already scheduled to sing Marguerite during the second run of Faust performances next winter.

The Metropolitan Opera also weighed in, stating: "[Gheorghiu's absences] are becoming an increasingly difficult problem."

To read the full New York Times article, click here.

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