New York City Opera has been around since 1943 and at Lincoln Center since 1962. It has shared the David H. Koch theatre with the New York city Ballet. A problem because, as NYT noted ,the acoustics were made to soften the sound of the dancers padded feet, not the voices in an opera comapny..
And now it is moving from Lincoln center for a number of other venues in an effort to cut costs and remain in business.
This years season was sold ot less than half the time as the City Opera, unlike the Metropolitan Opera also at Lincoln Center, attempted to put on cutting edge instead of opera lover friendly . General Manager George Steel is being roundly condemned for this, for, in effect, losing its audience. Afterall, this is the company that, according to Wikiperdia, has brought us Sherrill Milnes, Plácido Domingo, Carol Vaness, José Carreras, Renée Fleming, Jerry Hadley, Catherine Malfitano, Bejun Mehta, Samuel Ramey, Gianna Rolandi, and Beverly Sills.
City opera is cutting back to 5 operas and 2 concerts for the season beginning October 2011.
It is all a little weird. Two years ago, City Opera spent $107M on a major renevoation of Koch Theatre and… if they were in such dire straights, where was the big fundraisers and bigger time begging from the monied classes?
Here is an idea: if rock is now official an art form, why does't Bowery Productions try and take it over?