To Bare Or Not To Bare

That is the question...

Yesterday, after reading an Epoch Times article on nudity on opera stages, we posed a very interesting question to our online friends: Would you be offended to see nudity/excessive skin in an opera?

Here's what you told us about this skin-tastic subject:

From Twitter:

@MeganMichael - Personally, no. One would have to argue that the body is the foundation for art...audiences might be inclined to disagree :)

@ArtsGroupSales - Not really. When @pittsburghopera did Dead Man Walking there was such a row over the nudity but it wasn't anything graphic

@DameEmma - Oh HELL no. The naked-er the better ; )

@arieltenor - When you see the productions you wonder what the hell did you watched. Did the director actually read the libretto?

@leboyfriend - Surely,entirely a matter of being appropriate/employing good taste. Thus, Cherubino as a no-pants role gets a big thumbs-up..While, Dido being naked during her lament...okay, not a good counter example. I'll try to get back to you with one.

@reneestephen - People are so uptight. OMG think of the children! You know what: 5k yr of casual nudity vs ~1000 of prudery. We survived. In other words, the author needs to untwisted his or her knickers :)

@_SanDiegoOpera - With the current crop of singers performing today, nudity would give opera a healthy jolt of "oh hell yes".

@kbpmv - No, Erwartung and Salome are both fab

@stellavg - I would be offended NOT to see nudity in opera. ;-)

@forgetful_man - I'd suggest those offended by nudes avoid museums as well.

@AFewShortNotes - I've seen it done really well -- Tannhäuser in Paris -- and really... not well. Won't name any names for that one.

From Facebook:

Roger Leroux - Salome had nudity on stage, and so did Rigoletto (I believe) a couple of years ago. And the near burlesque scene from the male lead in The Italian Girl from Algiers was brilliantly funny. It's no big deal.

Michael Colbruno - It's fine if it fits the story, like Billy Budd or Rape of Lucretia, but it baffles me when topless gypsies appear in Il Trovatore.

Garrett Rodman - No problemo - Lady Macbeth of Mtensk at the COC had oral sex simulated.

Wow! When it comes to the subject of the flesh, it seems like everyone wanted to weigh in! Our social media channels lit up like a Christmas tree.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to answer our poll!

~ Ling Chan