Oh, those silly opera singers

If you haven't heard the greatest story of vocal tantrum EVER, reference this article by Norman Lebrect from Scena Musicale: Stop the Opera, I want to Get Off

It's a funny thing - European audiences have far fewer barriers to expressing their distaste openly. While we stand at ovation for mediocre performances, they heartily boo at vaguely mechanical ones. And some people get pissy - like Roberto Alagn when he left the stage at La Scala after being booed. The poor understudy who was pacing backstage got thrown on in jeans and street clothes to finish the scene - and it's certainly the musical feel good story. But I was pleased to see the New York Times feature on Antonello Palombi, the man in jeans, which doesn't overplay any heroism in his last minute dash to a La Scala premiere. It was a surprisingly honest account of the raw terror that came with that moment. I feel bad for the guy, too - he got pushed off the musical cliff, had a fantastic moment on stage, and didn't really have the chance to enjoy it. But, what's done is done, and maybe we'll hear more from him in the future.