La Scala’s Don Q disaster – all four guest dancers pull out

I bought tickets for the Osipova-Vasiliev performance on the first day of ticket buying opening (9th July). After some time, I found out that Osipova had been moved to another date with no reason at all. Then Vasiliev withdrew.
I can understand Vasiliev, since there are medical reasons behind that, but not the theatre direction. I don’t agree with Orsola above. When I pay 150 euro to see a performance (the highest priced tickets I found on any theatre I’ve been, included many abroad) I want to see étoiles dancing and not primi ballerini. If you want me to see primi ballerini then lower the price. I don’t pay the same price for casual clothes and for a Versace dress. I cannot know beforehand if the primi ballerini will be up to the task so you cannot say it is the same. It is not the same since I paid to see THAT cast and not another one.

I will send a letter to the theatre direction but I would like to know if somebody else agrees with me on that point. Many people in the audience the night I was in complained and they didn’t even know that the performers had changed since the theatre never bothered to announce it in any way.

In my opinion that is a real shame. Respect the audience, or you will find empty seats next time. I have a lot of other things to say about La Scala, but no wonder, I am sure noone will listen.

I agree with you Milena. I think that sometime it could happen that somebody have an health problem: I remember when I went to La Scala to see a Giselle with Vasiliev (Vladimir in that case:) ) and Fracci, he had a problem and a wonderful and never enough loved Paolo Bortoluzzi raised from the orchestra to dance instead of him. I mean we are all humans, it is disappointing but it can happen and substitutions sometime even launch great artist (i.e. Fracci) but in this case we reached an unacceptable point.
Too many cases in such a short time for the same ballet, something must be wrong.
It’s not a disclaimer legal line put on the program that will protect the image of the theatre.

I can understand the point of Orsola, regarding the fact that our dancers should dance more, and I ‘m happy to see Italian dancers for sure. I can even decide to pay that horrible price to see them, but not as substitutes and I want to have the possibility to decide. Orsola, what would you think if somebody we love very much would not dance and you would know it just one day before? I’m sure we will not be happy at all to see whoever young Italian dancer instead :).

Hi Jonathan, An unconfirmed source says that Tamara Rojo has left Milan and won’t be coming back. But, who knows, there might be a change of plan. Fingers crossed?

Latest blog post says: “And just to put the record straight, a little bird tells me that the La Scala man­age­ment have known since Easter that Nat­alia Osipova could not dance on the 22nd as her arrival in Milan couldn’t be until the 21st given her com­mit­ment to the Royal Bal­let. Was her name kept up just to sell more tick­ets? If so — and I hope it is just a stu­pid assump­tion on my part — it is a very short-sighted ges­ture, destined to ali­en­ate the pub­lic of bal­let fans, and turn the theatre into even more of a tour­ists attrac­tion where what hap­pens on stage is less import­ant than the selfie in front of the Royal Box.”

braaava detto bene¡