In recent days, French-American actor Timothée Chalamet has drawn the ire of opera houses around the world. The reason? His comments made in late February to Variety and CNN. The actor was in the midst of promoting his film Marty Supreme, in which he plays a prodigious ping-pong player… He mentioned his lack of interest in opera and ballet, explaining that “nobody cares” about them. These major institutions were quick to respond! Among them were the Bordeaux National Opera and the Paris Opera!
The Paris Opera responds to Timothée Chalamet’s comments
“I don’t want to work in ballet or opera, or in fields where you have to keep something alive, even if no one is interested in it anymore…” These words were spoken by actor Timothée Chalamet during a joint interview with Matthew McConaughey for CNN and Variety last February.
These comments did not go unnoticed and were immediately picked up by major institutions such as the Paris Opera. In its Instagram post last Friday, which has already racked up almost 50,000 likes, the illustrious Paris Opera chose humor as its weapon, posting the caption “Plot twist: ping-pong also exists at the Timothée Chalamet Opera.” The post features an excerpt from the opera Nixon in China , which poetically and humorously illustrates the metaphor of “ping-pong diplomacy.” The show is currently playing at the Opéra Bastille until March 20, proving that spectacular performances can also be enjoyed at the opera.
A little further afield, the Bordeaux Opera invited the actor to come to the Grand Théâtre between April 22 and 30 to see “Joy,” the upcoming ballet program! Across Europe and around the world, the entire world of opera, ballet, and dance reacted strongly to the 30-year-old actor’s comments. What do you think?
Ballet in Paris for anyone who is interested
For those who love live performances, don’t miss Ballet of Lights: Sleeping Beauty. A breathtaking, magical show, where the dancers’ costumes light up as if in a dream. Between the incredible choreography and the talented dancers, you’ll be amazed. It’s currently showing at the MPAA Saint-Germain in the 6th arrondissement of Paris!