opera

Wagner's Ring Cycle has strained many an opera company's budget. Last year the Washinton National Opera postponed its performances of "Der Ring des Nibelungen" due to the economic climate. This year, a $32-million production of Richard Wagner's "Ring" Cycle is being cited as a cause for the financial problems that have befallen the Los Angeles Opera. The opera company recently received a $14-million emergency loan from Los Angeles County designed to keep it going until the middle of next year. The LA Times reports that the opera company is $20 million in debt and needed the money in order to keep going. County supervisors voted to approve the loan partially over a concern that the failure of the L.A. Opera could hurt the county-owned Music Center. The Los Angeles Opera uses the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion for its performances.

According to the LA Times article a group of opera trustees have pledged $30 million to keep the company going and so the loan will gradually be repaid as the money comes in. The four-part Ring cycle will be staged in its entirety May 29 to June 26 as part of a regional arts festival. So far about a third of the 9,000 four-opera subscriptions for the cycle have been sold. The opera can take around 15 hours to perform and the epic style and heavy tone can some put off some opera neophytes but for dedicated fans the Ring cycle is a must-attend event. Other operas may sell more tickets but for many opera houses the Ring cycle is a defining performance even if it is a budget buster.

The opera is a wonderful expression of art and music and storytelling, but attending a show can be intimidating if you've never been before. Here are a few basics:

Attire Although traditionally a very formal and glamorous event, operas have become more casual over the years and attire varies to include all levels. Business attire is common but if you're not sure what to wear feel free to call the opera house beforehand to see what they recommend.

Arrive Early Once the performance starts the ushers will not admit you until after the overture or, in some cases, after the first act is over. Allow at least 30-45 minutes to find parking, get your tickets, and be seated.

Stay Quiet Be courteous and refrain from talking, whispering, and eating during the show. Also be sure to turn off your cell phone, PDA, or anything else that might ring or beep.

No Cameras Most opera houses prohibit the use of photography, video, and recording devices of any kind during performances.

Applause Operas are live so of course it's courteous to show your appreciation by clapping at appropriate moments. Follow the lead of the rest of the audience if you're not sure but generally people will applaud when the conductor takes the podium, at the end of the overture, at the end of each act, and when the performers come out to take a bow.

As I mentioned last month, opera companies across the U.S. are facing hard times. The latest is the Orlando Opera in Orlando, Florida which is facing a huge deficit caused by the recession. The company has launched a $500,000 fundraising campaign and that outcome of that campaign may determine the future health of the organization.

The company has enough money to produce Suor Angelica and Cavalleria Rusticana, a double bill planned for April 3-7. The Orlando Sentinel reports that if the organization can't raise $500,000 by the end of May it may have to find other means of survival including partnering with another arts group or shifting focus to opera training. The decision could also have an impact on the Orlando Philharmonic, which plays for the opera's full-scale productions and the plans for Orlando's performing-arts center. Orlando Opera's 2009-2010 season promises a trio of audience favorites: La Bohème, Carmen and La Traviata.

At stake here is not just opera but the message that having an opera company represents, that a city is culturally rich and cosmopolitan. It is also about keeping opera alive as an art form across the U.S. As the recession bites into people's personal budgets supporting the arts can seem almost frivolous but this is a time when arts groups are fighting for their survival.

We've been watching trouble brewing in the opera world for a few months now as some companies have closed and others have scaled back elaborate productions. A recent piece on NPR's "All Things Considered" indicated that the problem is widespread partly because opera is one of the most expensive performing arts. Marc Scorca, the president and CEO of OPERA America, says many opera companies started making cuts as soon as last October. Even New York's Metropolitan Opera, the big daddy of the U.S. opera world, is trying to find ways to trim a budget said to top $280 million by postponing big ticket productions and instituting pay cuts. The Los Angeles Opera has also cut staff members and taken a quarter off its budget. While tickets sales for the pricey performances are still strong, it is the donations that are causing opera companies to feel the squeeze. One company that might not make it is the Baltimore Opera, which has debts of over $1 million. It declared bankruptcy last December and canceled the final two productions of the season. They are fighting to stay afloat but indications are that the company may not be able to regroup.

It's a tough time to be an opera company. I recently mentioned the closing of Opera Pacific in California's Orange County, now the Washington Post reports that the Washington National Opera has postponed its performances of Wagner's "Ring" cycle until the economic climate improves. Famed opera singer Plácido Domingo, the company's general director, released a statement announcing that the decision was motivated by "the dramatic changes in the nation's economy." The Ring cycle consists of four long operas and was to be a highlight of the 2009-10 season. The cost of showing the four different operas on four consecutive nights often keeps companies away from performing Wagner's mighty work. Often opera companies put on one of the operas per season before doing the whole cycle. The Washington National Opera has already put on the first two and the third was postponed for a year due to budget cuts and will debut in May 2009. The final opera, "Götterdämmerung" will be offered in two performances with sets or costumes which should help the opera company save between $5 million and $6 million.

The Washington Post article revealed that some other arts organizations in the area are also considering trimming back their schedules. Others are trying to cut expenses at the same time they are also cutting ticket prices to lure in customers. Arts organizations in general get much of their attendance and donations from the older generations, the same people who might now be too worried about their retirement funds to support the arts.

Another casualty of tough times in Southern California's Orange County appears to be opera. The recent staging of "The Barber of Seville" may have been the swan song for Opera Pacific, the area's professional opera company. The company was founded in 1986 and has been going strong for years but currently a limited circle of patrons has been unable to swing the $4 million to $5 million in donations needed to fund a season's budget of about $7 million to $8 million. The LA Times reports that the company has canceled its two remaining operas "The Grapes of Wrath" and "Salome" and has put its its office, set-storage and rehearsal building in Santa Ana up for sale and laid off all but two members of the staff. Donations to the arts are often first hit when people scale back their philanthropy in tough times.