Cindy Sherman wears Maria Callas's actual gowns to sing about her own fading glory.
Rufus Wainwright staged a special performance of his traveling contemporary opera Prima Donna at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Athens on September 15, 2015. The opera featured a new film accompaniment directed by Francesco Vezzoli and starring Cindy Sherman as an aging soprano who hopes to pull off a comeback performance in Paris on Bastille Day. In the film, Sherman performs against the backdrop of the Théâtre des Variétés, Paris, in costumes originally worn by legendary soprano Maria Callas.
Costume
Maria Callas's actual gowns—history wearing history.
Direction
Vezzoli blurs film, opera, and live performance into one.
Acting
Sherman's face does decades of regret without a word.
Director
Francesco Vezzoli
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Callas's gowns had been in storage since her 1974 death; Sherman became the first to wear them on film.
The Odeon performance merged live Wainwright with Vezzoli's film, making audiences watch an opera about watching opera.
US
