Eardrum Damage Forces Sutherland to Cancel at Bowl

Dame Joan Sutherland, scheduled to sing in a pension fund benefit for the Los Angeles Philharmonic with tenor Luciano Pavarotti Saturday night in Hollywood Bowl, has canceled her appearance due to a perforated eardrum, her publicist says.

Pavarotti will be there, as promised, but with another conductor, his longtime associate Emerson Buckley.

Richard Bonynge, the scheduled conductor and Sutherland’s husband, also has canceled.

Appearing as assisting artist will be soprano Madelyn Renee, a protegee of Pavarotti’s for a number of years. She recently toured China with him.

According to Herbert Breslin, Pavarotti’s manager and publicist (and Sutherland’s publicist), Sutherland suffered a perforated eardrum without knowing it when the plane on which she was a passenger descended to San Francisco on the flight from Honolulu last Thursday.

She rehearsed with Pavarotti Sunday night for an Oakland concert but saw an ear specialist Monday, when she felt ill.

According to Breslin, the physician advised her not to sing “for four or five days” (which included her Tuesday appearance at the Oakland Coliseum Arena). Breslin said Sutherland expects to be well for the two remaining stops on the tour: Chicago on Sept. 12 and Madison Square Gardon, Sept. 26.

Pavarotti’s Bowl program will be different from the one that had been planned with Sutherland.