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PEOPLE & ARTS Monday 30 deceMber 2019
Soul-searching in opera world after tumultuous #MeToo year

By JOCELYN GECKER ing or abuse of some kind,
Associated Press and I'm no exception," said
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — It bass-baritone Kyle Albert-
was a tumultuous year in son, who like many others
the opera world, a year in said he prefers not to name
which sexual harassment names as a matter of sur-
allegations against su- vival.
perstar Placido Domingo "It's almost written in the
prompted his disappear- job description: You will be
ance from American stag- abused somehow," Albert-
es and sparked deep soul- son said.
searching. Within the past year, most
Opera performers are ap- opera companies have
plauding new official ef- started holding regular sex-
forts to create a workplace ual harassment workshops,
free of sexual misconduct, and many distribute and
but say many in the indus- read aloud their sexual ha-
try remain fearful of speak- rassment policy to incom-
ing up about predators, ing casts before the start
particularly those in posi- of rehearsals and distribute
tions of power. contact information for re-
"The problem is so much porting incidents.
bigger than Placido Do- "It's now become an option
mingo. It's the whole envi- to stand up and say 'These
ronment," said American actions are not OK.' And In this Saturday, Dec. 19, 2009
soprano Lauren Flanigan, that is fantastic," Albertson file photo, Placido Domingo
adding that in her de- said. performs during a sound
cades-long career "almost The Houston Grand Op- check prior to a free concert
every rehearsal I was ever era, the Lyric Opera of in Mexico City.
Associated Press
in was sexualized — literally Chicago, the Minnesota
every rehearsal." Opera and a few other 1997 performance of "Mac-
Two investigations into Do- companies have started beth" and an understudy
mingo's behavior were hiring special consultants added unscripted sexual
opened after Associated known as intimacy direc- violence. "He grabbed me
Press stories in which more tors to help stage sexually by the hair, pulled my neck
than 20 women said the charged scenes to ensure backward, so I couldn't get
legendary tenor had pres- there is no inappropriate away, then he shoved his
sured them into sexual re- improvising. face in my face and stuck
lationships, behaved inap- Perryn Leech, Houston his tongue in my mouth,"
propriately and sometimes Grand Opera's manag- she said. Later in the show,
professionally punished ing director, said it's about she said, "he threw me on
those who rebuffed him. staging sex scenes in "a the floor and started hump-
Dozens of others told the more caring way." ing my face — on stage in
AP that they had witnessed "There's been a huge front of a sold-out theater,
his behavior. change in culture, and while I was supposed to be
One of the ongoing inves- we're still a long way from singing."
tigations is at Los Angeles being where we need to In Flanigan's case, "I was
Opera, where Domingo be," Leech said, compar- known and believed, so
was general director since ing the role of an intimacy he was fired," but she said
2003. He resigned from the director to a fight chore- young artists and many
company in October, say- ographer who makes sure others are far less likely to
ing the allegations had that performers feel safe, report abuse.
"compromised" his ability to comfortable and don't get While celebrities in Holly-
continue. hurt, physically or emotion- wood helped end a culture
The other is being led by ally, on stage. of silence by showing sup-
the American Guild of Mu- In opera, displays of pas- port for producer Harvey
sical Artists, the union repre- sion are an important part Weinstein's accusers, the
senting many opera house of the job and singers of- opera world's reaction has
employees, which says it ten are required to kiss col- been different. Male stars
didn't trust the industry to leagues on stage or act out like Andrea Bocelli have
police itself. story lines with rapes, orgies spoken up in Domingo's de-
Executive director Len or other acts of sexual vio- fense and opera's leading
Egert emphasized that the lence. female lights have mostly
union also is looking into "If you don't overtly remind withheld public comment
the wider problem of mis- yourself that this is our job, on both the pervasiveness
conduct across the industry it can get very confusing of the problem and on the
and the fear of retaliation very fast," intimacy director high-profile men accused
by people in power. Doug Scholz-Carlson said. of misconduct, including
"I don't think you could find Flanigan said her worst ex- Domingo and conductors
one singer in this business perience took place on James Levine and Charles
who has not been the vic- stage when she was playing Dutoit, all of whom deny
tim of harassment, bully- the female lead during a any wrongdoing.q