RUFUS WAINWRIGHT - WAINWRIGHT TO PREMIERE OPERA IN U.K.

WAINWRIGHT TO PREMIERE OPERA IN U.K.

Singer RUFUS WAINWRIGHT is premiering his new opera in England after it was apparently rejected in the U.S. for containing French lyrics. The Canadian singer was hoping to unveil his most ambitious project to date, an opera entitled Prima Donna, in New York's esteemed Metropolitan Opera House - but claims he was turned down because the piece wasn't in English.
He explains, "With an opera, so many things can go wrong, you have to minimise the mistakes, and doing it in English can be one. Lots of operas are ruined by being in English.
"(But) the Metropolitan Opera didn't want it because it's written in French. In America they want everything to be American!"
But the star insists he is grateful to show off his masterpiece at the Manchester International Festival in July (09): "The opera world is in a desperate place right now. They have to lower themselves to work with people like me!"