Woody Allen makes La Scala debut directing comic opera

MILAN (AP) — Woody Allen says he has “always had a warm and affectionate following in Europe,” as he prepares to make his La Scala debut directing Puccini’s comic one-act opera ‘Gianni Schicchi.’
Allen was greeted with applause as he arrived at a press conference Tuesday ahead of the weekend premiere.
While the prolific 83-year-old director has been shunned by a growing segment of the Hollywood film industry, his acceptance in Europe appears largely untouched