Controversial as they may have been, Timothée Chalamet’s comments on ballet and opera may have done some good.
In a new interview with The timesThe head of London’s leading opera house has thanked the Hollywood actor for a boost in ticket sales amid his infuriating observation that “nobody cares” about the art form anymore.
Audience response to this show has been amazing,” said Alex Baird, of the Royal Ballet and Opera Marty Supreme The star’s comments were “amazing.”
“I thought it was important that we not make a kind of enthusiastic response to Chalamet,” Baird said. “We simply said ‘take a look at what we’re doing mate’ – for example, the fact that the bulk of our audience by age is 20-30.”
“And you know what? Our post got two and a half million reactions and half a million shares, just on Instagram. And our ticket sales got an immediate boost. So, cheers, Timmy!”
Just this week, the Oscar nominee got some much-needed support from Luca Guadagnino, who spoke to an Italian daily No Stampa Before the premiere of his 1991 film adaptation of John Adams’ opera, Klinghofer’s deathin Florence.
Director, whose age gap romance Call me by your name It made Chalamet an international star and earned him his first Oscar nomination, and he admitted the 30-year-old “could have spared himself” the public’s wrath. He translated from Italian No Stampa: “I’m not on social media and I don’t understand how [single] The comment could have become a planetary debate… Maybe Timothy could have saved himself. But he is young, intelligent, sensitive, and fears that cinema will become marginal. This is exactly why every form of imagination must be nurtured. We must unite the arts, not divide them.”
Chalamet’s bold awards campaign took a sharp nosedive in early March, not helped by his comments in opera and ballet: “I don’t want to work in ballet or opera where it’s like: ‘Hello! Keep this thing alive, even though no one cares about it anymore,” he said in a live chat with Matthew McConaughey for diverse and CNN. “All respect to the ballet and opera people out there… I just lost 14 cents in viewership. I’m taking pictures for no reason.”
Indeed, the Royal Ballet and Opera responded at the time. A spokesman said Hollywood Reporter: “Ballet and opera have never existed in isolation – they have constantly worked to inspire and elevate other art forms. Their influence can be felt across theatre, film, contemporary music, fashion and beyond. For centuries, these disciplines have shaped the way artists create culture and audiences experience it, and today millions of people around the world continue to enjoy and engage with them.”
