# The Met went dark today...



## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

...after the last intermission of "Guillaume Tell" at the matinee performance. 
Rumor has it that an audience member dropped some white powder into the pit and HazMat was called in. After an interminable wait (almost 40 minutes), with fidgety audience members finally doing their rhythmic clap, clap, clap routine, we were all told to go home.
They canceled the evening performance as well. ("Italiana in Algeri")


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Just a-spreadin' the auld ashes, it seems.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

A shame. Wonder when they will start airport-style screening of attendees at concerts, movies, etc.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Should people really be worried everywhere, very frighting.


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## Krummhorn (Feb 18, 2007)

Apparently it was human ashes ... saw this in the NY times tonight.

Opera schedule resumes as normal on Monday.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Krummhorn said:


> Apparently it was human ashes ... saw this in the NY times tonight.
> 
> Opera schedule resumes as normal on Monday.


Strange people opera goers.


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## Don Fatale (Aug 31, 2009)

An over-reaction to an idiot. And as usual the innocent people are left inconvenienced and out of pocket.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Human remains!

http://slippedisc.com/2016/10/dallas-opera-buff-is-named-for-scattering-human-remains-at-the-met/


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

If it's true that these were ashes, probably of a met lover - it makes no sense - the ashes would have been swept or vacuumed up and will finish up on a landfill tip.


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## mountmccabe (May 1, 2013)

They were sprinkled on the timpani, which probably would have been great for making them airborne. They would have been breathed in by the orchestra, audience, cast, chorus, and crew. They also would have landed on and stuck to the set pieces and gotten in everything.

I can sort of understand the impulse. But I also don't want to breathe in/be dusted with somebody's ashes.

It easily could have been far worse, but it was still gross. Cancelling at least the final act of _Guillaume Tell_ when it was just an unidentified substance was entirely reasonable, even if it was incredibly disappointing for the audience.

It's a shame they had to cancel the second Rossini opera, too, but with only a few hours in-between to change over it's not surprising. Nobody could do anything during the investigation.


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

Hopefully the culprit gets about ten years in the slammer. Pour encourager les autres, you understand.


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

Probably the best of intentions, but a really dumb thing to do. And because it was so inexplicably weird, the authorities had to treat it as a potential threat.


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## Wood (Feb 21, 2013)

It would seem that there are much more bizarre things that have been done with a parent's ashes:

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/weirdest-places-ashes-been-scattered-7519353

Snorting your father's remains with a line of coke is probably the winner.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Wood said:


> It would seem that there are much more bizarre things that have been done with a parent's ashes:
> 
> http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/weirdest-places-ashes-been-scattered-7519353
> 
> *Snorting your father's remains with a line of coke is probably the winner.*


__________


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## Vasks (Dec 9, 2013)

Florestan said:


> A shame. Wonder when they will start airport-style screening of attendees at concerts, movies, etc.


It already occurs as I went to see a show at the Fox Theater in downtown Atlanta recently and had to be screened (_emptying out all items that could trigger the metal detector; pocketbook inspected_). Also the next day at the World of Coca-Cola (also Atlanta) we had to do the same thing


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

The perp is very contrite and embarrassed since he realized what his questionable choice wrought. Actually, he meant it to be a loving act and didn't look at the possibilities of his actions.
I hope most people are kind enough to forgive him the entire episode and get on with their lives. If the police have forgiven him, if the Met can forget it, and if the audiences can forgive him, maybe there is hope for a better understanding of one another at an already difficult time in our lives.


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

nina foresti said:


> The perp is very contrite and embarrassed since he realized what his questionable choice wrought. Actually, he meant it to be a loving act and didn't look at the possibilities of his actions.
> I hope most people are kind enough to forgive him the entire episode and get on with their lives. If the police have forgiven him, if the Met can forget it, and if the audiences can forgive him, maybe there is hope for a better understanding of one another at an already difficult time in our lives.


So this act sort of backfired - not a very nice way to be remembered - as someone whose ashes stopped one met perf and cancelled another.


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

As for me - it's in my will - my ashes are to be scattered at a location in Salzburg.


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## EdwardBast (Nov 25, 2013)

^ ^ ^

An elderly aunt of mine, who can barely walk, recently went through the ordeal of transporting her husband's ashes from Florida to London and dumping them in the Thames. I suggested that maybe the DHL guy could do it if she paid a little extra, but her sense of duty compelled her to fulfill the onerous and expensive task herself. Sigh.


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## Flamme (Dec 30, 2012)

Ashes 2 ashes, dust 2 dust...


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## mountmccabe (May 1, 2013)

stomanek said:


> So this act sort of backfired - not a very nice way to be remembered - as someone whose ashes stopped one met perf and cancelled another.


It is not surprising that it was done with the best intentions. And despite that fact that it was done to honor an old friend, it was still selfish, entitled behavior that ruined the afternoon/evening of thousands of people. If the Met had been able to do a Live in HD broadcast of _Guillaume Tell_, this would have been the performance. Then this person's act would have ruined the afternoon of millions, as well as any chance of releasing the recording on DVD.

How many people were in from out of town or are otherwise unable to see _Guillaume Tell_ on Wednesday as a make-up performance? The performance of _L'italiana in Algeri_ was to be the last of the run, so there's no chance of a make-up there.

I wasn't there, and this didn't affect me personally. I feel sorry for the guy, but I have no problem with people being upset/signaling that this is not acceptable. He did not think about how this would affect others.

It's at the same time more and less understandable than other entitled, thoughtless behavior that disturbs patrons such as talking during performances, wearing strong perfume/cologne, and leaving phones on (and evening answering them). These are not done out of malice (generally) but from not thinking or caring about those around you.

Occasionally people even have a legitimate reason for answering the phone or checking their email during a performance, sometimes even as legitimate as fulfilling the last wishes of a dear friend.


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## Flamme (Dec 30, 2012)

nina foresti said:


> *The perp *is very contrite and embarrassed since he realized what his questionable choice wrought. Actually, he meant it to be a loving act and didn't look at the possibilities of his actions.
> I hope most people are kind enough to forgive him the entire episode and get on with their lives. If the police have forgiven him, if the Met can forget it, and if the audiences can forgive him, maybe there is hope for a better understanding of one another at an already difficult time in our lives.


I love how you said PERP:lol:


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## ldiat (Jan 27, 2016)

Pugg said:


> Strange people opera goers.


yes people are strange and my mother told me to stay away from "strangers"


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

I have to say that I don´t get how you can be permited to do whatever you want with human remains.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Disposal of remains is governed by state and local laws. Typically the disposal of ashes is not highly regulated because there's no health risk.

In coastal areas, it's popular for relatives to pay to have the ashes flown out and spread from the air at sea. There was a recent scandal about this on the West Coast. A company that had provided this service for many years had never flown them out to sea at all but simply sent them to the nearest landfill. Not nice!


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Flamme said:


> I love how you said PERP:lol:


Agreed. It was a bit over-the-top but you catch my drift.


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

well what else can we say - what a bloody idiot! that he was doing a deceased dear friend a favour does not absolve him from the fact he did an incredibly thoughtless stupid act and I do hope he is charged with some kind of public order offence. Sorry but I'm not compassionate when it comes to music - musicians want to do their job for the audience - and if some idiot stops that from happening - he'd better watch out if I'm around. I would have turned those ashes into a smoothie and made him take it down in one go.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

stomanek said:


> well what else can we say - what a bloody idiot! that he was doing a deceased dear friend a favour does not absolve him from the fact he did an incredibly thoughtless stupid act and I do hope he is charged with some kind of public order offence. Sorry but I'm not compassionate when it comes to music - musicians want to do their job for the audience - and if some idiot stops that from happening - he'd better watch out if I'm around. I would have turned those ashes into a smoothie and made him take it down in one go.


Man oh man! Remind me never to make a stupid mistake in front of you!


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

I wonder what the total cost of this dumb mistake is in lost time for the opera company, stagehands, those who would have attended that evening and had traveled from afar, those who attended the opera that was cut short (since it was a partial loss to them), etc. Will the perp have to pay any damages?

What if someone had traveled from a long distance and wants to sue the perp for the cost of the airline ticket, hotels, lost time, etc?


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

KenOC said:


> Disposal of remains is governed by state and local laws. Typically the disposal of ashes is not highly regulated because there's no health risk.


Health risk or not. That ashes was someone it have to do with showing respect to that person.


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

An avid opera-loving friend of mine (and former member of this site), currently on a trip to New York, had to adjust his meeting schedule in order to see this very performance--only to miss the final act.

I extended my sympathies, but told him to look on the bright side. Years from now, he'll be able to say, "I was there!"


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

amfortas said:


> An avid opera-loving friend of mine (and former member of this site), currently on a trip to New York, had to adjust his meeting schedule in order to see this very performance--only to miss the final act.
> 
> I extended my sympathies, but told him to look on the bright side. Years from now, he'll be able to say, *"I was there!"*


Mmmm - you are so right - lucky guy eh!


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

Florestan said:


> I wonder what the total cost of this dumb mistake is in lost time for the opera company, stagehands, those who would have attended that evening and had traveled from afar, those who attended the opera that was cut short (since it was a partial loss to them), etc. Will the perp have to pay any damages?
> 
> What if someone had traveled from a long distance and wants to sue the perp for the cost of the airline ticket, hotels, lost time, etc?


I expect the ticket holders will get no refund - so in fact it wont cost them anything - as the perf had already started and I think the met are not liable to pay out a refund if the opera is abandoned for any reason.
But the next perf was cancelled and I think those ticket holders will get their money back - which may not cost stage hands etc if they are on a contract - depends on the contracts - the met may well lose tens of thousands of dollars. Yes they should sue him for compensation though they probably will not as they may consider it bad publicity.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

I just got off the phone with the Met. I asked them what happens now with my Guillaume Tell tickets.
It was explained that I am eligible to choose any opera I wish from THIS SEASON'S ROSTER ONLY. Which means that anything from now through to December they can offer me free tickets for an opera of my choice.
I told her I wanted to see "Cyrano" which wasn't until May and she said she would note on my account that when those seats come up for sale in 2017, I am eligible for 2 free tickets to that opera.


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## msegers (Oct 17, 2008)

"An audience member said that if she wanted to be at the Met for all eternity she would buy a ticket for _Die Meistersinger_." http://www.wqxr.org/#!/story/what-can-happen-when-opera-performance-cancelled/


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## Autumn Leaves (Jan 3, 2014)

Florestan said:


> A shame. Wonder when they will start airport-style screening of attendees at concerts, movies, etc.


They are doing it at the Mariinsky.


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