On Tuesday, April 8th well-known opera baritone Peter McGillivray suffered a terrible fall from a chair on stage during a production of Puccini’s La Bohème by Manitoba Opera. He was taken to the hospital for immediate medical attention.
Writing from Winnipeg’s Health Sciences Centre this morning, he said, “It was… an eventful performance of La Boheme last night. Standing on top of a table after beating Giles near senseless with a baguette, I stepped down onto a rickety chair which promptly shattered and I fell with my full weight on my knee. Helped off the stage by our lovely ASM, Kathryn, my dazzling colleagues were still able to finish the show with poise & inspired improvisation.”
McGillivray is currently playing the role of Schaunard, the musician of the group, who arrives in Act I with a hand full of food, booze and cigars. Apparently he had fallen just as Mimi makes her final entrance. “It’s Schaunard who traditionally is the one who discovers that Mimi is dead. But the cast made it work without me with some excellent on the fly improvisations that I think even Signor Puccini would have approved of considering the situation.” He adds, “Maestro Lipton kept the orchestra rolling along even though I heard more than a few audible gasps from the pit. That’s showbiz!”
Now on standby for surgery, he is hoping to be released later this afternoon, pending the results of the surgery. McGillivray quips, “Please send good thoughts, prayers & whisky [clear fluids, amiright? (sic)].”
There is no word on who a possible replacement will be as yet, but after speaking with him this morning, he’s yearning to, “…hobble around and sing the last show. But I know Larry Desrochers is probably trying to fly a backup plan as we speak.”
Let’s hope for a speedy recovery.
Michael Vincent
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