Disrupted 'Again Turandot', Final Day Performance Ultimately Canceled

The opera "Again 2024 Turandot," which sparked controversy when the director stepped down on the opening day of the 22nd, will ultimately end early after the performance on the 30th, failing to complete the scheduled run.

The production company of Turandot, "2024 Turandot Cultural Industry Specialist Company," announced on the 30th that the ongoing "Again 2024 Turandot" at COEX will conclude with the performance on that day, and the performance scheduled for the 31st has been canceled.

"Again 2024 Turandot" is a stage prepared by Park Hyun-jun, chairman of the Korea Opera Association, who served as the artistic director, aiming to recreate the emotion of the outdoor opera Turandot performed at Sangam World Cup Stadium in 2003, in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Puccini's death this year. It attracted attention with world-renowned vocalists such as Pl?cido Domingo, Jos? Cura, Asmik Gregorian, Yusif Eyvazov, and Yulia Gregorian appearing. The 2024 Turandot Cultural Industry Specialist Company stated that they invested a whopping 20 billion KRW in production costs.

However, on the opening day, the 22nd, director Davide Livermore publicly revealed conflicts with General Director Park Hyun-jun's side and expressed his intention to step down, causing the performance to face disruption from the first day. On the 29th, conductor Paolo Carignani also notified his withdrawal. Carignani's legal representative stated that although Carignani entered the country on the 16th and conducted rehearsals, he did not hear any information regarding the performance schedule. The representative added that Carignani ultimately did not appear on stage and left Korea on the 25th.

Amid ongoing conflicts between the production team and the cast, the poor conditions of the venue also drew complaints from the audience. There were continuous demands for refunds from the audience, and it appears the production company canceled the final day's performance in response. A representative from the production company stated, "Due to internal circumstances, we have decided to cancel the performance on the 31st."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.