Turns out operatic baritones are also at risk. Particularly the Polish, foil-wielding, Mariusz Kwiecien, who missed his opening night performance as the eponymous character, Don Giovanni, due to a herniated disc. Worry not, he will be back in action for the Nov. 7 performance, but look out for these production changes made specially to accommodate Don Giovanni’s back problems:
Dramatic lunges are out. Kwiecien’s physio therapist instructed him to “thrust the sword by using his arm, not by rotating his back; use his legs to move forward; keep his lower torso neutral” Sounds like ballet minus plie.
There will also be more arrogant striding and less running (or chasing women, as it may be). The post-surgery Don will skip most of the dramatic flopping, and cut the symbolic ladder descent.
Lets hope our beloved theatrical opera doesn’t turn into an operating theater.
Information courtesy of NYTimes
Too much information. But fascinating. I am sitting perfectly erect as I type this so as not to put any undue stress on my vertebrae.
As a frequent sufferer of back injuries myself, along with the rest of my family, I found it quite interesting to find out how similar injuries have much larger repercussions for people in the entertainment industry. While the most that a back injury does to me is make it hard for me to touch my toes, for performers like Mariusz Kwiecien, it could put their careers in jeopard.The lead actor of the Spiderman musical, whom I have blogged about in the past faced many injuries on set, which was part of the reason why the musical had such a rough start. (http://eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu/smaldone2011/2011/11/04/spiderman-the-musical/). Ballets for instance, are such a physically demanding art form, that an injury could ruin a dancer’s entire season. The movements that I would find arduous when I have a back injury are multiplied by the dramatic necessities of an opera. Who said the theater was for wimps?