It 'aint over til the fat lady... falls into the orchestra pit. Opera singer hurt after embarrassing accident at Glyndebourne

 

 

By Daily Mail Reporter

Last updated at 11:07 AM on 22nd August 2009

 

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An award-winning opera singer was taken to hospital after falling into the orchestra pit during a performance at the Glyndebourne Festival.

The performance of Dvorak’s Rusalka was almost cancelled after lead soprano Ana Maria Martinez got caught in the stage scenery, wobbled for a few moments as she tried to keep her balance but then plunged backwards into the string section.

Members of the orchestra and two medics then rushed to her aid after producers put out a call for any doctors in the house.

 

Watch your step: Ana Maria Martinez in Rusalka at Glyndebourne

 

The mother-of-one's fall was cushioned by a cellist and she suffered some bruising but insisted she could carry on.

 

However organisers would not let her and sent her to hospital for checks where she was later discharged.

The show was stopped after the accident which happened minutes before the end of Act 1.

The performance then went into its scheduled 20-minute interval and the audience was cleared out of the auditorium at the world-renowned venue near Lewes, East Sussex.

 

Resilient: Ana Maria Martinez wanted to continue in the show but producers would not let her

 

Producers then rallied round and transported an understudy down from London by train and the show continued just 10 minutes later than planned.

In a statement, Glyndebourne said last night: 'The performance of Rusalka was stopped just before the end of Act 1 following an accident on the stage involving Ana Maria Martinez.

'Ms Martinez fell into the orchestra pit. Despite Ana Maria wanting to continue with the performance, she was immediately taken to hospital as a precautionary measure.

'Her understudy, Natasha Jouhl, who plays the role of the 1st Nymph in the opera, continued in the principal role, while her understudy took the role of the 1st Nymph.

'Fortunately, no-one else was hurt in the incident.'

 

World famous: The new opera house at Glyndebourne where the Glyndebourne Opera Festival takes place each summer

 

Jouhl stepped up from her role but her own understudy, Natalya Romaniw, was resting in London when the accident happened.

 

As the audience ate their picnics early, Ms Romaniw was rushed onto a train and reached the venue in time for the third act, just in time for the beginning of her part.

The cellist who cushioned Martinez's fall was fine and played for the rest of the show.

 

Martinez won a Latin Grammy in 2001 for Classical Album featuring Placido Domingo and Carlos Alvarez, one of a string of accolades.

 

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1208304/It-aint-til-fat-lady--falls-orchestra-pit-Opera-singer-hurt-embarrassing-accident-Glyndebourne.html#ixzz0Ouq00tQI

The mother-of-one's fall was cushioned by a cellist and she suffered some bruising but insisted she could carry on.

 

I cracked up after reading that.