I didn't want to add oil to the fire by extra-blogging about the controversy that involved
Vlaamse Opera and
Muslim Executive of Belgium (MEB). Now, since the story is over blogging about it is benign.
The reason for a big fuss --that obviously instantly woke up the extremes on both sides of the issue-- was a trailer run on Belgian-TV announcing
Die Entführung aus dem Serail which the spokesperson of MEB qualified as rude and offensive. He went on and said the following poster, showing a women wearing half-burka/half-panties, was "downright insulting"
Of course the ensuing polemics ranged from qualifying the complaint as
"whining", to those who were surprised by the MEB reaction finding the trailer/poster "
neither offensive, nor funny", to those who thought the publicity stunt was "
insensitive"...
If they complain then it was probably a tad insensitive [
nothing insulting though - Come ON!], but a good theater should push the boundaries and tackle important issues relevant to the society in which it creates art -- that's how theater lives instead of rewinding the old stuff for ever and ever...
You should know that the Flanders Opera is not a big rich opera house, but delightfully creative and audacious. Ivo van genius-Hove, Guy Joosten, Guy Cassier... all come from this theater.
Here is the famous trailer:
