Orlando Philharmonic should have let the show go on. It caved to haters, instead | Opinion

Sometimes, you have to hurt somebody’s feelings.

That’s a dicey prospect these days. No matter how hard you try not to step on toes, some people have grown incredibly big feet. Sad to say, they recently walked all over the Orlando Philharmonic.

The trouble began a couple of weeks ago when the Philharmonic announced it would perform “Pulse.” It’s a new work commemorating the 2016 nightclub massacre where 49 people, mostly gay and/or Latino, were killed.

It was composed by Lev Zhurbin, a Russian native who goes by the professional name Ljova. He is neither gay nor Latino. Commenters flooded the Philharmonic’s Facebook page with accusations of insensitivity. The vast majority were from out-of-towners eager to judge people they had never met and a composition they’d never heard.

The self-appointed Sensitivity Police threatened to protest outside performance, turning a special tribute into an ugly scene. The Philharmonic called off the show and returned a $6,000 grant that would have paid for it.

Chalk up another one for the cancel culture.

Lost in the furor were the extenuating circumstances. The Philharmonic originally commissioned Ljova in 2016 to create a piece for a series on Russian composers. Then Pulse happened, and Ljova asked the Philharmonic to let him write a new piece dedicated to the 49 victims.

”Orlando — and indeed the country — was in a state of mourning that I could not ignore,” he said.

Scheduling and other issues kept delaying the show until this November. Ljova was paid long ago. The $6,000 would have gone to the musicians, most of whom needed the payday because of the the coronavirus shutdown.

Given all that, I think the show should have gone on. But I should disqualify myself because I’m overly biased against social media mobs. As for more centered observers, ”It’s a gray area,” Eric Pinder said.

He’s an actor and director who’s long been involved in Orlando’s arts community. He understands why someone would be bothered by a straight, white male being the composer. It would indeed be more fitting if a gay person or a Latino had done the piece.

But Pinder knows Ljova has probably put together a moving tribute. And that Philharmonic musicians have donated countless hours playing at commemorations and private memorials for Pulse victims.

So with all due respect to everyone’s feelings, Pinder would still like to hear the Philharmonic perform Ljova’s piece. ”I hope it’s not too controversial to never be done,” he said.

My guess is it’s not. The Philharmonic plans to talk to onePULSE Foundation about how to properly present Ljova’s piece.

”We are looking forward to the dialogue,” onePULSE CEO Barbara Poma said.

Speaking of dialogue, the Philharmonic reached out to some of the most critical Facebook commenters. ”Anytime we tried to engage, they didn’t want to hear it,” said Philharmonic spokesperson Cristina Venturini.

Such people aren’t interested in dialogue or context or gray areas. Their world is black and white. You are either good like them or bad for not seeing things their way. If you followed their logic on this one, Mozart could return and compose a piece on Pulse, but it would be rejected because he’s Austrian.

If they were genuinely concerned, they’d do a little homework. They’d see how Orlando came together with an outpouring of sympathy and support after Pulse. ”For the first time, I felt like I was a citizen of this town,” Pinder said.

So much so that he and his partner felt they could get married and thrive here. But it wasn’t just the gay or Latino communities that were deeply affected by the tragedy. ”This affected the entire community,” Pinder said.

That gets back to feelings. When it comes to commemorating something as sensitive as Pulse, any decision is going bother somebody. That must be weighed against the overall good that decision might bring.The Philharmonic has learned that lesson. Venturini said it is committed to eventually performing “Pulse.”

With the grant money gone, funding is a problem. You could help by going to the Philharmonic website and making a donation designated toward “Pulse.” It’s a tribute that deserves to be heard.

David Whitley is a columnist for the Orlando Sentinel.

(c) 2020 The Orlando Sentinel