NAPLES, Italy, March 22 (UPI) -- A production of the opera "Faust" was censored in Naples after the Catholic choir denounced as blasphemous a scene in which an actor tramples a crucifix.
The Corriere della Sera daily said 15 members of the 80-member San Carlo choir signed a petition to drop the scene from the production, the BBC reported Monday.
The petition read: "The choreography is blasphemous and we will not perform this 'Faust.' We are in the period of Lent and we will not take part in such things."
Director Jean-Louis Martinoty said he had made some small changes to the production as a result of the protest, but down-played the incident.
He told the newspaper: "I heard the protest and there have been some small changes. I have a good rapport with the choir and we laughed together about the incident."
"Faust," by French composer Gounod, is the tale of a scholar whose ambition leads him to strike a deal with the devil in exchange for unlimited knowledge.
The opera opened in Naples on Sunday evening.
