Miuccia Prada is in town to work on costumes for the Met’s upcoming production of Giuseppe Verdi’s Attila. Paper reports that when Prada met the extras cast to play supernumeraries (non-singing parts), she looked at them and said, “I cannot clothe them! I need models!” “Page Six” reports:
A rep for the opera company told us that casting “is at the discretion of the creative team. Due to a change in concept, the Met is in the process of recasting” some of the extras.
A source tells Paper that it doesn’t matter what supernumeraries look like because what’s important is how they move. As the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show proves every year, models may walk nicely, but any other kind of rhythmic movement is usually not a strength. But what’s important about this situation, if extras are in fact being recast at Prada’s behest, is the precedent it sets, which is that the clothes — or at least Prada’s clothes — are more important than the people wearing the clothes.
Peter Davis’ Status Update: Miuccia to the Met – Models Only! [Paper]
Curves banned from ‘Attila’ [Page Six/NYP]
