Don’t Send Résumés
to Trawick Artists
Trawick Artists has closed its New York offices as Elly Miller retires. The managers have been told to work from their homes, but some have gone to other management firms or have retired. Artists on the roster are scrambling.
Community Concerts
Not Paying Artists?
MusicalAmerica.com has reported that Community Concerts may not be paying its artists (see cover story for more information about one artist’s experience with Community Concerts). Community Concerts was originally owned by CAMI (Columbia Artists) and was sold to Trawick. While Trawick offices were in NY, CC was moved to Charlotte, NC.
John Crosby Dies
John Crosby, founder and former general director of the Santa Fe Opera, has died after a brief illness in a California hospital. He was 76.
Breslin gives up on Pavarotti
The AP has reported that Pavarotti’s long time manager, Herbert Breslin, has said, “I’ve had enough” and decided to stop managing him, apparently tired of the frequent cancellations. They had been together for 36 years. Others report that the decision was a mutual one. The latest cancellation was a January 5th concert so Pavarotti could be present for the birth of his twins by his companion, Nicoletta Mantovani. Pavarotti plans to retire on his 70th birthday in 2005.
Don’t Count Your Chickens
Singers are reporting that contracts are being cancelled. You’ve got a contract for five performances? Don’t be surprised if that contract is changed to four or if the performance is cancelled or changed to a different opera. Some companies are hurting right now. Be prepared to be flexible, and don’t buy anything on credit right now banking on an upcoming contract.
Singer Suing San Francisco Opera Over Use of Stage Fog
Alexandra Nehra, a chorister at San Francisco opera, is going ahead with a test case on behalf of every singer/actor/musician who has ever choked—or worse—on stage fog. Opera and theatrical companies insist that stage fog is safe, yet those onstage and in the pit have a high incidence of respiratory and allergic reactions to the petroleum-based substance.
Trouble for Scottish Opera
As many arts organizations find themselves facing hard times, the Scottish Opera has also met with difficulty. In December, the company successfully avoided a strike by technical and backstage staff, but they are not off the hook yet. The Scotsman reports that the Scottish Opera is on the brink of financial ruin. Despite the fact that they are the Scottish Art Council’s most substantially supported arts organization, the flailing company will have to move to part-time status without some additional funds.
La Scala Is Ruined!
Well, at least that is what some critics are saying of the new La Scala restoration project. The Guardian reports that critics claim the acoustics and the theatre’s appearance, as well as the orchestra pit, have been ruined. The complaints, along with claims that the entire plan is illegal because it was improperly approved by the city council, have temporarily halted the restoration project.
Cancellations Everywhere
LA Opera had to cancel its planned production, which was scheduled to open on January 11th, of Luciano Berio’s new orchestration of Monteverdi’s The Coronation of Poppea. Berio had been in a car accident and was unable to complete the new scoring in time. This is the second cancellation that LA opera has faced; a $3 million production of Kirov’s War and Peace was replaced by Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk due to financial considerations.
Chicago Lyric Opera and San Francisco Opera find themselves in a similar situation, and both have cancelled planned productions from the 03-04 season to save money. SF Opera faces a deficit of $7.7 million. The productions cut were “box-office challenges” and were replaced by less expensive productions that are more likely to draw a crowd, such as The Pirates of Penzance. The Chicago Lyric Opera calls the move a “pre-emptive strike” against a poor economy. As we see arts organizations struggling all over the map, perhaps the companies are wise to cater their seasons to ensure maximum attendance.
The Met vs. Met Fans
No we’re not talking about baseball. The Met recently came down against one of its most vociferous fans, John Patterson, creator of the website MetManiac.com. This site was devoted exclusively to Patterson’s great affection for to the Met’s broadcasts, seasons and history. On November 1st, he received a phone call from one of the Met’s lawyers with a list of changes that would have to be made that fell just short of complete dissolution of the fansite. Disillusioned, Patterson closed down the website. The Met was soon flooded with letters questioning the company’s decision. Patterson then received a call from General Director Joseph Volpe himself, who asked him to come into the offices to resolve the situation. Patterson has now been permitted to keep his website, as long as there is no trading from Patterson’s extensive broadcast collection and no video clips.
Wondering About Crossover?
Bryn Terfel is all for it and starred in Chicago Lyric Opera’s production of Sweeney Todd, which ran through December. He apparently loved the production and said, “This is my very first contemporary piece. Opera it’s not. But I was desperate to do it, because it’s such a glorious vehicle. I’m totally engulfed in it. This piece has 20 tunes you can go out whistling. My kids are singing it at home. When they get into the car they say, ‘Put Sweeney on!’”
Bruno Wintzell, 58, Dies
On December 1st, Swedish singer Bruno Wintzell passed away from cancer. He was well known for his acting abilities as well as his brief marriage to actress Goldie Hawn. He is survived by a 24-year-old son and a 12-year-old daughter.
New production of CARmen
After terrible floods in Dresden forced several productions to look for other performance venues, stage director Harry Kupfer had the creativity to stage his production of CARmen in an automobile factory with a luxury Phaeton model car as the center stage prop. The factory’s acoustics were less than optimal. Chorus and soloists relied heavily upon TV monitors to be sure not to miss their entrances, because the orchestral accompaniment sounded several seconds behind the actual beat. The audience responded with bravos and relative acceptance, although they expressed the hope that the factory would not be a new permanent opera locale.
Missing Funds at Hanoi Opera House
This particular home of the arts doubles as an unofficial bank account for many Vietnamese officials. Vietnamese media reports that as much as 30 percent of the government money allocated to the opera house ends up filling the pockets of corrupt officials instead. The corruption is so widespread that reporters investigating the situation are unsure exactly how much money is involved. For example, financial records indicate that 486 million dong ($32,400) was used to purchase a fire-prevention system for the opera house.
Callas’ Personal Letters Bring in the Cash
Seven of Maria Callas’ personal letters were sold at an auction in November. The letters were written in the 1960s and detailed her shock and disbelief at the marriage of Aristotle Onassis to Jacqueline Kennedy. One of the letters, which sold for almost 6,000 euros (about US $6,000), far exceeding estimates of 2,000-3,000 euros, said, “The worst thing is that he didn’t tell me anything about his marriage. I think he had the obligation after nine years at his side—at least not to have me learn it from the newspapers.” Another letter that discussed the breakup of their relationship sold for 3,720 euros (about US $3,700). Callas wrote, “I’m reasonably well under the circumstance—but it’s as if I took an enormous blow—and I can’t breathe anymore.” Seven letters out of a possible 11 were sold, for a total of more than 18,500 euros ($18,500).
