Brokeback Mountain Commissioned for New York City Opera

The New York City opera has commissioned a work by Charles Wuorinen based on the 1997 Annie Proulx short story Brokeback Mountain, which, of course, became perhaps the most groundbreaking gay film of all time:

"The opera is scheduled to premiere in spring 2013, City Opera said Sunday. It will be City Opera's second Wuorinen premiere, following 'Haroun and the Sea of Stories,' which was based on a Salman Rushdie novel and opened in October 2004. 'Ever since encountering Annie Proulx's extraordinary story I have wanted to make an opera on it, and it gives me great joy that Gerard Mortier and New York City Opera have given me the opportunity to do so,' Wuorinen said in a statement."

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Rufus Wainwright Focusing on a Day in the Life of an Opera Diva

Rufus Wainwright, who was presented with GLAAD's Stephen F. Kolzak Award (named for the late casting director and given to an openly gay member of the entertainment or media community for his or her work toward eliminating homophobia) at the GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles over the weekend, told Variety about his next project, Prima Donna, an opera which focuses on a day in the life of an opera diva.

Said Wainwright: "I've written songs for so many years that it's basically become a bodily function. There's nothing glamorous about it whatsoever. I've wanted to write an opera since I was about 14 years old, but I couldn't find a story that I could wrap my head around. (Inspiration came from my fascination with) the construct of the diva, from Maria Callas to Norma Desmond and the (Jean-Jacques Beineix) movie 'Diva' from the '80s. And God darn it, there's a bit of me in that too. Once the lights go down, it all kind of boils down to the same thing. It just has to be good."

Wainwright (pictured here with his partner, German arts administrator Jorn Weisbrodt, at the GLAAD awards) will function "as both composer and librettist (in French)" for the work, which was commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera.

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A Night at La Scala

Rupert Everett escorted longtime friend Donatella Versace to La Scala opera house in Milan Thursday for its opening night, a production of Aida directed by Franco Zeffirelli. The production has created a frenzy with all 11 performances selling out within two hours. It's the director's first production there in 14 years.

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