That bit of advice I issued the Met Opera came before I’d seen the new ad campaign they’re doing. I saw a poster in the subway station yesterday. There’s a picture of Netrebko doing her torch song diva act with the legend, (if I recall correctly, I was scurrying), “The Voice Must Be Heard.” Nice. Effective.
Yes, Netrebko’s persona has become trademarked, but so has every other opera singer in her/his forties. And if it works, as in, if it fills the theater, more power to her.
Kind of the way I feel about Misty Copeland. She and her handlers cleverly made the trajectory of her personal advancement a referendum on the integration of African-Americans into the ballet firmament. They are, of course, two separate things entirely, but if she is really bringing new audiences into the theater, more power to her.