Don’t wish me luck

“From here on out, I declare that no one ever wish me again to ‘break a leg’”.

Joyce DiDonato, American mezzo soprano, shortly after having broken a leg on stage in a production of The Barber of Serville at the Royal Opera House. DiDonato insisted on continuing the performance in a wheel chair.

Source: Kirkup, Sarah, “Backstage Blogging”, Classic  FM.  December, 2009, p. 52.


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