Leading British director is sacked by New York Opera
A leading British director has been sacked by New York's Metropolitan Opera amid claims he made a comment about 'imagining a ghost naked'.
However last night supporters of 84-year-old John Copley described the incident as a 'misunderstanding'.
A source who was in the room at the time said the director encouraged actors to have different reactions to a ghost character including 'imagining the character naked', according to The Daily Telegraph.
In a statement on Thursday, the Met said John Copley had been fired and would no longer be directing the revival of his 1990 production of Rossini's Semiramide after they received a complaint from a chorister 'about inappropriate behavior in the rehearsal room' on Monday.
The Met Opera fired British stage director John Copley for inappropriate behavior, the company said in a statement on Thursday
Copley, pictured here holding his CBE (Commander of the British Empire) award at Buckingham Palace on June 27, 2014, was directing the revival of his 1990 production of Rossini's Semiramide for the Met
The Met said in a statement that Semiramide is still scheduled to open on February 19
The New York Times, citing two people familiar with the complaint, reported that Copley allegedly made a 'sexually charged' comment that made a member of the male chorus uncomfortable.
The 84-year-old director was called into the office of Met General Manager Peter Gelb on Tuesday and was told that had been fired.
'Just to thank you all for your generous support and loving wishes. This is a very difficult time, helped by you all. Uncle John,' Copley posted Thursday night on social media, according to Slipped Disc.
In a statement released last night the Met Opera said: ‘On Monday, January 29 the Met HR department received a complaint from a chorus member regarding an incident in a rehearsal room that had taken place on Friday, January 26.
‘[It] was told that stage director John Copley had approached the chorus member and said “I’m thinking of you in my bed with your clothes off”, making the chorus member feel extremely ill at ease due to this sexually demeaning remark. The comment was overheard by other chorus members.
‘Later that day the chorus member found himself unable to continue with his work ... because he felt upset and distressed. Following an HR interview with the complainant and one of the other chorus members ... Met general manager Peter Gelb spoke to Mr Copley, who did not deny the incident.
‘After further discussions with the chorus member, who felt unable to continue working with Mr Copley because of the hostile, sexually charged environment that had been created, Mr Copley was asked to leave the production. The Met has strong policies in place relating to workplace behaviour and puts paramount importance on the welfare of its artists and staff.’
Met spokesman Tim McKeough offered no details on the incident and Copley's agent declined to comment.
News of Copley's sudden departure from the Met has been with harsh reactions from musicians who admired the director's work.
'What sort of humorless, vindictive, insecure tosser fires a great opera director like John Copley for making a harmless joke in rehearsal?' baritone Richard Morrison wrote on Twitter.
'Having been in the rehearsal room of Semiramide for the last few weeks I can only echo the dismay and outrage that so many of you have in relation to our incredible director, the one and only John Copley,' Australian soprano Helena Westwood Dix wrote, suggesting that whatever Copley may have said was intended as 'incredible HUMOR.'
Copley's firing comes just two months after the Met suspended its music director James Levin (pictured) for allegations of sexual misconduct. Levin is pictured above leading the Met Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in New York on October 13, 2013
She added: 'I use that last word because it seems we are faced with the grave fact that people seem to not understand what this word is and how it is used.'
Copley's dismissal comes two months after the Met suspended its music director emeritus, James Levine, pending an investigation into sexual abuse allegations against him.
The Met suspended its relationship with Levine in December after more than four decades while it investigates multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. The 74-year-old conductor has denied any wrongdoing. His appearances the rest of the season have been canceled.