by Paul J. Pelkonen
Fiona Shaw (right) receives the shocking news that she's directing Eugene Onegin at the Met.
OK. Yes. That's a still from Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone with Ms. Shaw (right,)
Richard Griffiths (center) and Harry Melling (right.) Can't fool you for a second.
Movie still from Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone © 2001 Warner Bros.
Ms. Warner, who originally directed this production when it premiered at the English National Opera has withdrawn from the show due to an "unexpected surgical procedure and the anticipated recovery time," a press release from the Metropolitan Opera said today. Other details of this production (which stars Anna Netrebko, Mariusz Kwiecien and Piotr Beczala) remain unchanged.
Fiona Shaw was chosen (according to the press release) due to her 25-year theatrical partnership with Ms. Warner, which began with a 1988 production of Electra. Most recently, they worked together on The Testament of Mary which had a run on Broadway in the 2012-2013 theater season.
Ms. Shaw is no stranger to the world of opera. The British actress has directed productions of The Marriage of Figaro, Hans Werner Henze's Elegy For Young Lovers and Ralph Vaughan Williams' Riders to the Sea at E.N.O. She is also slated to direct Benjamin Britten's The Rape of Lucretia in a new production at the Glyndebourne Festival.
In addition to appearing as Petunia Dursley in the beloved film series, Ms. haw is a Tony-nominated actress who recently appeared on Broadway in The Testament of Mary. She holds the rank of Commander of the British Empire for her services to the dramatic arts.
To read more about this new production of Eugene Onegin, visit its page on the 2013-2014 Superconductor Metropolitan Opera Preview.