This is bad, bad news

[av8rmike]

Baltimore Opera seeks Chapter 11 Protection

After 58 years and more than 200 productions, the Baltimore Opera Company will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy-law protection today amid dwindling ticket sales and contributions.

The remaining two productions of the 2008-2009 season, Rossini's The Barber of Seville and Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, have been canceled. Ticket holders will not receive refunds. Singers engaged for next season are being released from their contracts, but the company plans to continue fundraising in an effort to resume productions in the future.

They must have mortgaged the farm to stage that production of Aida, but apparently the ticket sales weren't enough to make up the shortfall. I know several contract musicians in the opera orchestra, and I can't imagine that the loss of this income is going to make things any better. I can only hope that the company can manage to find a new source of donations and emerge from Chapter 11.

Comments

[tidesong.livejournal.com]

Even though it's better than you think? It has to be?

Seriously...this is terrible. I hope they figure something out. They're the only opera company there, aren't they?

Not good at all. :(

[av8rmike.livejournal.com]

Obviously, we were right that it was a terrible ad campaign.

There's also the Washington Opera.

[tidesong.livejournal.com]

*nods* Washington Opera is a bit bigger of a company if I recall correctly. But still...that's a longer drive and more inconvenient. Feh.

[danceswithcats1.livejournal.com]

No matter how it's expressed, this is sad.