Don Juan Fans Strike Back

Don Juan Fans Strike Back
27/9/2008 14h09

Paris, France (AFP) - In an intense reaction not seen since Dick Sargent replaced Dick York on “Bewitched,” there has been an uproar of protest directed against British composer Lord Ambrose D’Arcy’s plans to stage a sequel to the controversial opera, “Don Juan Triumphant.”

Contained primarily to the internet, a grassroots campaign has formed by “Juanna-Bes,” devoted fans of the original “Don Juan Triumphant,” to protest the new operatic sequel. “Don Juan’s fate is definitive,” one fan said on a Don Juan message board, “He’s dragged down to Hell. The end. How do you write a sequel to that?” Another fan added, “D’Arcy has no integrity anymore. He’s merely trying to capitalize on the notoriety of the original. And it isn’t even his own!”

Accusations of plagiarism have hounded Lord D’Arcy for years, most notably that of the scandal surrounding “Saint Joan: The Tragedy of Joan of Arc,” which premiered at the London Opera House. But Lord D’Arcy has always refuted such rumors as jealous gossip by his critics.

“DJ2: Electric Boogaloo” is currently in development at the Paris Opera House. Jay Cobbler is slated to direct the production.