They say it ain't over until the fat lady sings!
But when the protesters start screaming, the opera has to stop for awhile too!
That's what happened at Lincoln Center in New York on Monday night during a performance of the Russian opera, Eugene Onegin, when around a dozen gay rights activists burst into the auditorium, mid-performance!
And sitting in the audience for opening night were Brooke Shields, Heather Graham and Diane Kruger!
The protesters singled out Russian performer Anna Netrebko and conductor Valery Gergiev, shouting:
"Anna, your silence is killing Russian gays! Valery, your silence is killing Russian gays! Down with Putin! Free Russian gays!"
The opera was halted while guards were brought in to remove the demonstrators, who were believed to have been part of a larger group that was also protesting outside of the theater.
OK, so we are HUGE fans of the 1st Amendment, don't get us wrong. But this just seems a little…misplaced. Right?
These performers aren't Russian politicians. They weren't even in Russia at the time of this demonstration! So what good is ruining an opera going to do for gays in Russia?
We stand behind pretty much ALL of these Russian boycotts because what's going on over there is an absolute TRAGEDY! But this one doesn't strike the right chord with us!
[Image via Alberto Reyes/WENN.]
Tags: anna netrebko, brooke shields, diane kruger, gay gay gay, heather graham, lincoln center, new york, opera, protests, valery gergiev
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