Page 29 - ARUBA TODAY

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PEOPLE & ARTS Thursday 4 July 2019

Woody Allen makes La Scala debut directing comic opera

By COLLEEN BARRY ued: “Maybe when I grew I always wanted was an
Associated Press up, I was an addict for Eu- evening of just third acts, so
MILAN (AP) — Woody Al- ropean films, I watched I could see all the third acts
len said Tuesday as he them all the time. Maybe I missed over the years,” he
prepared for his directing through some process of said. Allen’s said he staged
debut at Milan’s La Scala osmosis my films resonate “Gianni Schicchi” in the
opera house that he has with Europeans. “ Al- neorealist style of 1950s di-
“always had a warm and len’s “Gianni Schicchi,” rectors like Vittorio De Sica
affectionate following in which he first staged in and Federico Fellini -- after
Europe.” Allen was greeted Los Angeles, is being per- ideas to make Schicchi a
with applause at a news formed alongside Salieri’s rat among mice or a ciga-
conference ahead of the “First the Music, Then the rette among organic pro-
weekend premiere at La Words” directed by Grischa duce were rejected.
Scala of Puccini’s comic Asagaroff. Most of the per- He said he would have pre-
one-act opera “Gianni formers are students from ferred a different ending
Schicchi” with the prolific Director Woody Allen attends a press conference at La Scala La Scala’s academy. for the opera, based on an
filmmaker as director. opera house, in Milan, Italy, Tuesday, July 2, 2019. Allen said he was persuad- incident in Dante’s “Divine
Unlike in Hollywood, the Associated Press ed by Placido Domingo to Comedy,” which sees the
83-year-old Allen’s accep- would donate their salaries onates with Europeans in a direct opera - but it took title character condemned
tance in Europe appears to charities fighting sexual way that they relate to.” him a long time to come to hell for profiting from a
largely untouched by al- abuse. “I know when I started mak- around. “I didn’t know if ruse. “I have a weakness
legations of sexual mis- Alongside the La Scala ing movies 50 years ago or I had any ability to do this for people who live on the
conduct that have been production, a cinema mu- almost 50 years ago, for sort of thing. I had done margins of society and
revisited in the wake of the seum in Milan is showing a whatever reason I always cinema and not even that slightly outside of the law,
#MeToo movement. retrospective of 28 Allen had a very warm and af- much stage work. I found it so have I have great affec-
In the United States, Ama- films. After Saturday’s “Gi- fectionate following in Eu- to be a very enjoyable ex- tion for Gianni Schicchi,”
zon Studios terminated anni Schicchi” premiere, rope,” he said. “And even perience,” Allen said. Allen said. “I would not put
an agreement to distrib- Allen said he plans to travel when films of mine were The director said he long him in hell at the end of the
ute his latest film, “A Rainy to San Sebastian, Spain to not as well received in the enjoyed listening to opera, movie. I would retire him
Day in New York.” The film work on his next film. The United States, always in Ita- but usually sees only the with a good pension and
will be released in the fall cast includes Christoph ly, France and Germany, all first two acts of a produc- let him go off and lead a
across Europe. Two of the Waltz. over Europe, they received tion due to early-morning very happy life in the coun-
film’s stars have said they Allen said that his work “res- my films well.” He contin- filming schedules. “What try. “q