Bald Soprano Will Not Sing in London

The Genesis Foundation was to have supported a London production in November 2009 of the new opera that it commissioned from Jean-Philippe Calvin based on the iconic French play by Eugene Ionesco, La Cantatrice Chauve. The production was being developed by the company Tête à Tête.

However, a situation has arisen which has driven Genesis to the conclusion that it is simply too financially risky at this stage and in the current economic climate to continue to support this production.

The basic problem is that after two years of trying, we still have not got a secure licence from France to enable Tête à Tête to produce Cantatrice in the UK. Indeed, we have now spent twice as much on lawyer’s fees trying to sort out this problem as we have on the commissioning of the opera itself.

Tête à Tête needs to start issuing contracts immediately to singers and musicians for the November performances of this opera at the Riverside Studios in London which will incur substantial immediate costs.

Under the circumstances, Genesis has reluctantly decided that it would not be prudent to proceed at this point without the necessary rights in place.

Because of these contractual problems, Genesis has reluctantly decided to withdraw from this production. A Paris production of the opera is going ahead in April and May of 2009.

Press Release...