Breaking (sort of): Alagna bags Netrebko (again)

Roberto Alagna is replacing tenor Rolando Villazon in the first two performances of the Metropolitan Opera's revival of Gounod's "Romeo et Juliette" next month.

Alagna will sing in the Sept. 25 and Sept. 29 performances opposite soprano Anna Netrebko. She canceled concerts in Austria and Italy this month because of laryngitis.

Matthew Polenzani will sing Dec. 27 and Dec. 31. The Met didn't announce a replacement for the Oct. 3, Oct. 6 and Oct. 11 performances.

Villazon remains scheduled for the Dec. 15 matinee, to be broadcast on the radio, simulcast in movie theaters and recorded for television.

My suspicion is that Peter Gelb came across this racy Netrebko-Alagna Manon clip and found himself a perfect (West) Hollywood solution to the current Villazon longterm illness drama. I mean, who doesn't like porn, right? Expect lots of borderline-X skin on skin action on that floating-in-the-heavens Romeo bed. Or your money back.

[Alternative headline: Netrebko to do Juliette and three Romeos.]