William Friedkin has inconveniently pulled out of directing "An Inconvenient Truth" at Milan's La Scala opera house.
Friedkin cited "irreconcilable creative differences" with poet and librettist
J.D. McClatchy.
La Scala is now looking for another director to work with composer
Giorgio Battistelli and McClatchy, whose previous librettos include
Lorin Maazel's "1984" and "Grendel," co-written with
Julie Taymor. The production, backed by Participant Media, which financed the Oscar-winning
Al Gore doc, is still aiming to debut May 11, 2011. Battistelli charged in Milan's Corriere Della Sera that Friedkin bailed "for personal, not artistic reasons." The miffed maestro also claimed Friedkin intended to spotlight flashy special effects over the green message in "Truth."
"Opera isn't Hollywood," he opined.
Friedkin has been directing opera for more than a decade, most recently Puccini's "Il Tabarro" and "Suor Angelica" at the L.A. Opera.
Contact Nick Vivarelli at
nvivarelli@gmail.com