Latest news with #Rinaldo
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘This cannot be allowed' — Israeli opera hires Russian singers, Ukrainian director quits in protest
A Ukrainian theater director has refused to stage an opera at the Jerusalem Lyric Opera Studio & Festival in Israel after the organizers of the event hired Russian singers against his wishes. Eugene Lavrenchuk explained the reason behind his decision in a post on Facebook on April 28, confirming that he would no longer have a role in the staging of George Handel's opera "Rinaldo," the premiere of which is scheduled for July 21 in Tel Aviv. "Russia is a country that killed millions of people and became known for its brilliant ballet and operas," Lavrenchuk told the Kyiv Independent. "This legitimized Abkhazia, Chechnya, the war in Ukraine, and all the executions, concentration camps, and repressions. Russia did this in (Pyotr) Tchaikovsky's time as well." "Let Russia return the occupied territories and drown in sanctions, and then fine, I'll be the first to stage Tchaikovsky," he added. Lavrenchuk told the Kyiv Independent that when he took on the project, he had only one condition for the organizers — no one from Russia could be a member of the cast, even asking for it to be a clause in his contract. Though it was not written in the contract, Lavrenchuk said the organizers assured him his request would be honored, but when he was sent the text for a promotional poster, it contained the names of two Russian singers among the cast. "When I noticed the unfamiliar names of singers I had not selected, I thought I had just missed something. But before waving my sword, I decided to check the Facebook pages of these two opera singers. Both are from Russia,' Lavrenchuk told the Kyiv Independent. "The organizers said (the singers) have Israeli passports, but this does not negate the fact that they publicly position themselves as Russians on social media," he added. Lavrenchuk asked the Kyiv Independent not to name the opera singers to protect them from backlash. "It is not acceptable for me, as a Ukrainian living in the war, to work with people who are presented as Russians." The Kyiv Independent could not verify the citizenship of the two singers, but according to their Facebook pages, both studied in Moscow. One's bio states she lives in Moscow. In 2016, she sang songs about war for Russia's Victory Day, celebrated each year on May 9, and shared photos from Crimea in 2019, visiting it after Russia's occupation. "The beautiful life in Crimea," she wrote in the caption. Despite already working remotely from Lviv, Ukraine, on the opera for months, selecting actors from "all over the world," forming a team, and even preparing some of the stage costumes, Lavrenchuk resigned from the project on April 8. "It is not acceptable for me, as a Ukrainian living in the war, to work with people who are presented as Russians," Lavrenchuk said. "Today, we cannot stand on the same stage with Russians, regardless of the context, because other people will use it to legitimize the friendship of (Ukrainian and Russian) peoples. One will say that politicians are fighting somewhere else, but the ordinary people are Slavic brothers. This cannot be allowed." Representatives of the Jerusalem Lyric Opera Studio & Festival, an artistic non-profit organizing opera events, defended their decision to include Russians in the production in a statement emailed to the Kyiv Independent on May 2, saying they "can't accept ultimatums" from artists. "Our decisions are based solely on artistic excellence, not on nationality, citizenship, or political affiliation," the statement reads. The Jerusalem Lyric Opera Studio & Festival representatives also pointed out that they organized a solidarity concert in support of the Ukrainian people in May 2022, "in response to the war in Ukraine," and they "stand by that act." "At the same time, we believe that art must remain a space free from political or national discrimination," they said. "The artists in question are Israeli citizens currently living and working in Israel. While they may hold dual citizenship or have outdated information on their social media profiles, they were selected purely on the basis of their artistic talent and professionalism." "We regret that Mr. Lavrenchuk chose to withdraw from the production and respect his personal convictions," the statement adds. "However, we cannot accept ultimatums that require us to exclude artists based on their citizenship or place of birth." Following Lavrenchuk's decision, the rest of the Ukrainians in the team, including the actor Vladyslav Shkarupilo who was supposed to play the central role of Goffredo, also refused to participate. "At first, there were no problems at all (with the organizers) — everything was as friendly and professional as possible," Shkarupilo told the Kyiv Independent. "But it was a bit improper of the administration to not coordinate these soloists with either the director or the conductor." For a 24-year-old actor building a career, performing in Rinaldo with Lavrenchuk was a "dream" opportunity, but he felt he had no option but to step down from the role. "Maybe this is incorrect, but I would like to say that if they don't care who performs, then let's invite some soloists from Gaza or Afghanistan (to the Israeli stage)," he said, alleging that in that case Israeli organizers would have been more sensitive to mixing up soloists of different origin on the cast. "This is music, this is art, this is something high. Unfortunately, this problem concerns only us. Of course, there are a lot of colleagues in solidarity who understand the difference between Ukraine and Russia," he added. Lavrenchuk highlighted Israel's own boycotts of works by the German composer Richard Wagner. "Wagner had nothing to do with the fact that Hitler used his music. But for some reason, out of respect for the Holocaust (victims), Wagner's operas were not performed in Israel for a long time. Because you have to respect people and humanity," he said. Despite the turmoil, the opera is still going ahead as planned. On April 16 the Jerusalem Lyric Opera & Festival announced they had hired a replacement for Lavrenchuk — Russian director Daniil Dmitriev. Read also: Ukrainian writer on canceling Russian culture We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
City of Detroit arts and culture office to host performing arts summit this weekend
Detroit's City Office of Arts, Culture, and Entrepreneurship (Detroit ACE) will hold its first citywide performing arts summit on Saturday, March 1. The 10 a.m. event is open to the public and will take place at Detroit School of Arts, 123 Selden St. 'While Detroit looks to New York, Austin, Berlin, and Miami for inspiration, those cities are looking right back at us – watching, learning, and admiring,' said Detroit ACE director Rochelle Riley. 'Twelve cities have reached out to Detroit's arts and culture office because they like what they're seeing in Detroit. Now, we need Detroit to love what is happening here. 'We see ourselves as the Motor City, but for over a century, we've been the Music City, too – driving sound, shaping culture, setting the pace. We don't just follow trends; we create them. It's time that Detroit embraces its full power – owning not just what we build, but the music, soul, and energy that move the world.' The event will begin with the Detroit School of Arts Concert Choir's rendition of 'Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing' and feature remarks and presentations from Riley and Detroit arts leaders about the state of the arts in the region and the available future. More: Detroit Public Theatre's 'Confederates' examines struggles of Black women in America More: Detroit Opera's joyful 'Rinaldo' a whimsical, wonderful delight: Review 'Detroit – like other cities are doing – must create a more collaborative strategy to include our creative economy in every overall economy plan,' said Riley. 'No discussion about economic development should happen without the arts sector included, because art is business. Every musician is a small business. Every actor is a small business. Every dancer is a small business. Every filmmaker is a small business. They collaborate to be great. 'It's time that Detroit help our creatives put their businesses above the jobs they have to take to keep their businesses afloat. We want our government, our corporations, our supporters to have the courage to step up and treat our creative workforce like the powerful group of career creators they are. But we also need creators to step up. If we start treating our creative industry like the revenue generator it can be, oh, the places we'll go and the success we'll have.' The summit is free and will be live-streamed on the City of Detroit's Facebook page and YouTube channel. Contact Free Press arts and culture reporter Duante Beddingfield at dbeddingfield@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit arts and culture office to host performing arts summit
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Detroit Public Theatre's 'Confederates' examines struggles of Black women in America
There is much to love and learn in 'Confederates,' Detroit native and Tony-nominated playwright Dominique Morisseau's thoughtful deep dive into racism and gender bias in the dual American institutions of slavery and academia, running through March 16 at Detroit Public Theatre. The glaringly obvious problems inherent to slavery are shown through the eyes of Sarah, who has lived her entire life on a plantation and has had enough and decides to take action. Her story runs parallel with that of Sandra, a modern-day, tenured professor at a mostly white private university; through Sandra's tale, we zoom in on the great cracks that remain in today's society when it comes to Black women. Sarah's story is the more straightforward: Bright and savvy enslaved woman chooses rebellion – will she succeed? It's incredible how much mileage Morisseau gets from this, and how much new material she mines from a format even the script itself acknowledges audiences have seen many times. Sandra's is something more complicated, for she appears to 'have it all.' An obviously free woman with a highly respected career, she finds herself locked in another kind of cage. A cleverly done mystery is woven through her side of the plot, and you're never sure whether it will even be solved or not. Is it solved in the end? Is the solution really the point? See also: Detroit Opera's joyful 'Rinaldo' a whimsical, wonderful delight: Review More: 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom' at Detroit Repertory Theatre delivers a solid performance In weaving this double narrative spanning more than a century, Morisseau peels back layer after layer on the struggles of Black women in America and their 'damned-if-you-do' existence that, at the root, hasn't fundamentally changed nearly as much as one might believe. Systemic issues that constantly hold them back from true freedom or greatness remain in place, they just exist in more insidious ways in the modern era. Skillfully directed by Goldie E. Patrick, the two leads are impeccable. As the exasperated Sandra, Whitney Johnson delivers steely elegance and unleashes, simmering rage. As the fiery Sarah, Rebecca Rose Mims gives a raw, knowing, quippy performance. Both women stand on the shoulders of a uniformly quality ensemble. The dynamic Vanessa Mazhangara pulls off two different roles – an opportunistic slave and Sandra's treacherous coworker – with such skill that it feels like two completely different actresses. The hysterical Meredith Parker steals scene after scene with a wildly campy double performance, particularly memorable as the master's clueless daughter in the Civil War scenes. (Her shrill, plaintive wails are still ringing in my head.) And Will Street, a familiar face in Detroit theater, shines brightly with his layered work as Malik, Sandra's combative student, and Abner, Sarah's brother. Moníka Essen's practical set is simplistic but serves the action well. A beautiful touch is the cotton plants that wrap around the stage and walls on both the past and present sides, indicating that the true struggle has not yet ended. As with the Black experience in full, laughter, tears, and abject horror stroll hand in hand in 'Confederates.' It's a thrilling time in the theater. 'Confederates' runs through March 16 at Detroit Public Theatre, 3960 3rd Ave. Tickets are $49 and can be purchased at Contact Free Press arts and culture reporter Duante Beddingfield at dbeddingfield@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Public Theatre's 'Confederates' examines struggles of Black women
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Swedish police apprehend three men near Israeli embassy
OSLO (Reuters) - Swedish police said on Friday they have apprehended three men near the Israeli embassy in Stockholm on suspicion of preparing to commit violent crime, but said it was too early to say whether the diplomatic mission had been a target. Swedish broadcaster TV4, citing unnamed sources, reported that the three men were suspected of planning to attack the embassy. "We are unable to comment on the potential motive," police spokesperson Susanna Rinaldo told Reuters. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. The arrests were made near the embassy, but not inside the compound itself, she said without elaborating. The suspects will now be interrogated, Rinaldo said. Swedish police last year stepped up security around Israeli and Jewish interests in the country following a shooting near Israel's embassy.
Arab News
21-02-2025
- Arab News
Swedish police apprehend three men near Israeli embassy
The three men were suspected of planning to attack the embassyThe arrests were made near the embassy, but not inside the compound itselfOSLO: Swedish police said on Friday they have apprehended three men near the Israeli embassy in Stockholm on suspicion of preparing to commit violent crime, but said it was too early to say whether the diplomatic mission had been a broadcaster TV4, citing unnamed sources, reported that the three men were suspected of planning to attack the embassy.'We are unable to comment on the potential motive,' police spokesperson Susanna Rinaldo told arrests were made near the embassy, but not inside the compound itself, she said without suspects will now be interrogated, Rinaldo police last year stepped up security around Israeli and Jewish interests in the country following a shooting near Israel's embassy.
