SO WHAT do you do if the tenor calls in sick seven hours before he is due on stage in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor at one of the world’s great opera venues?
If you are the Metropolitan Opera in New York you call Michael Fabiano, a rising star, and keep your fingers crossed he can make the journey from Philadelphia in time – as well as remember the libretto and spare precious minutes for a costume fitting and the very briefest of rehearsals. The 30- year-old tenor was running errands when he received the call on Wednesday. He raced home to his piano where he checked he could make it through the role of Edgardo before saying yes and embarking on a journey that ended with a standing ovation and a bloody forehead, according to The New York Times.
It described how Peter Gelb, the Met’s general manager, made a rapid decision when Joseph Calleja, who had been playing the role, came down with flu. Rather than use an understudy, Mr Gelb decided that ticketholders – who had paid up to $300 (£200) – deserved a big name.
Fabiano, 30, who made an impact in New York performing in La Bohème, was a natural choice, even though he had never seen the Met’s production. After arriving in New York at 4pm, Fabiano was given a run-through of the staging. With 35 minutes to go, Fabiano was in costume and finally able to look at the stage. He appeared at 8pm to applause, seven hours after receiving the call.
“His tenor voice easily filled the house, loud and clear,” said The New York Times. His entrances and exits went off smoothly apart from one hitch. He cut his head on the set as he exited the stage after a duet.
Still, not bad for what should have been a quiet day in Philadelphia.