The banning of Bizet’s Carmen in Western Australia because its opening act is set in a cigarette factory and could thus be considered to encourage smoking - already commented on in this blog - is apparently to continue for two years. According to reports, what lies behind it is a sponsorship deal.
But what kind of sponsorship deal? It would be interesting to know. If the production displayed smokers furiously puffing on cigarettes, demands to modify it might be understandable, if not necessarily excusable. But in Carmen nobody actually needs to smoke at all.
If Scottish Opera announced a new production of Carmen, would anyone try to block it, other than for financial reasons? The best response so far has come from Australia’s prime minister, who has declared that all opera is “an exaggeration.”
14 October 2014
This affair has become a huge smoking gun!! The Premier of Western Australia and the country's Prime Minster have now weighed in on the affair, both directing strong criticism and not a little ridicule at the opera company.
ReplyDeleteYes, the Carmen production was cancelled as a result of a A$400,000 sponsorship deal with Healthway. This is an organisation set up by the West Australian government but independent of it. Part of its remit is to reduce smoking in the State, a highly admirable aim.
To get its message across, Healthway sponsors a number of sports and cultural events. But all arts sponsored organisations have to agree to a number of conditions set out in a 6-page document, including ensuring -
"that all areas under their control are smoke-free for the duration of the contract. Healthway requires sponsored groups to use their best endeavours to ensure that the policy is implemented and enforced . . . all areas where audiences or spectators congregate to access or view the activity must be promoted and maintained as smoke-free."
The General Manager of WA Opera, Carolyn Chard, has rightly come under withering criticism for what many believe was an over-reliant subservience to this regulation. She went as far as to say: ""I think we were very respectful of the partnership and forward-thinking about recognising it would be in direct conflict with the aims of the Heathway support."
So, instead of opening a dialogue with Healthway, she and her Board unilaterally pulled one of the most popular of operas from their repertoire. Utterly idiotic! Stung by all the negative criticism, the Premier of Western Australia has now instructed the Chairman of Healthway to approve the production of Carmen!
Healthway's mission statement includes the promotion and support of healthy lifestyles. Which then begs the question: how many other operas will Ms. Chard consider banning in future? About half the repertoire, I would expect!
Hopefully they will come up with operas featuring romance (without any skullduggery, deaths or immoral acts to get in the way), for surely Toscanini said it best. "I kissed my first girl and smoked my first cigarette on the same day. I haven't had time for tobacco since."