The Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, which is affecting the whole planet in crescendo, is leading to containments, states of emergency, and closures of gathering places including theaters. The Metropolitan Opera House in New York is thus forced to cancel all the remaining shows of its 2019-2020 season (in theaters and broadcast in theaters) which was due to end on May 9, 2020.
“Inevitable due to the situation but also the challenges unreleased tracks that will land at the Met“, it is thus and with great regret that the General Director of the New York lyric house, Peter Gelb, had to announce the sad news.
The Metropolitan Opera House, as is the norm in the American economic system, does not live on subsidies (a fortiori since Donald Trump planed the already symbolic public subsidies) but on private money, especially philanthropy, patronage, sponsorship ($ 146 million on a budget of 293). Own resources with the sale of tickets in theaters represent only 30% of receipts (or $ 87 million), those of cinema tickets (50% of the price going to the Met), in growth, are certainly no longer negligible.
But in fact, the American theater is constantly forced to ask for assistance and patronage, each spectator who has reserved their seats at the Met by giving their contact details knows how many phone calls and emails calling for donations they receive regularly. During this period, spectators are also invited to donate the price of their ticket on canceled shows. In addition, while launching a new massive campaign of appeals for donations, the institution is taking drastic economic measures linked to the cessation of its activities this season due to the pandemic.
We relate in our previous article the fact that the artists will not be paid (while the majority of the other houses negotiate the payment of a part of the fees at least), it is now the permanent musicians of the house who will find themselves unemployed. technique in April (or as the house says: “Full-time and unionized employees will be offered their pay with health coverage until the end of March“: in a country without universal social security, staff concerns will only grow from April 1, especially given the state of health of the country and the planet at the moment).
The leaders of the institution have also decided to reduce their own salaries, Mr. Gelb leading by example by giving it up entirely.
So we will not see this season again in New York the Turandot ni Bohemian by Puccini for Franco Zeffirelli, Madame Butterfly by Anthony Minghella, The ghost ship by Wagner by François Girard, Cinderella of Rossini by Cesare Lievi, Werther by Massenet and Manon Lescaut by Puccini by Richard Eyre, Tosca de Puccini par David McVicar, Simon Boccanegra de Verdi par Giancarlo del Monaco, Marie Stuart Donizetti vs David McVicar, Katia Kabanova of Janáček by Jonathan Miller.
The Director of the Met announces that his house must bow under the threat of the virus, but that it will not break, this closure and these measures being designed to ensure the continuation of activities. In the meantime, the Met will continue to make available for free one retransmission per day of a landmark production in its history (to be found like all free streams around the world on our dedicated page): next week’s broadcasts will be devoted to Wagner, with his Tetralogy in full, chosen because it tells a story of “destruction but also of redemption”.
And during this period (like the whole year) you can simply click on the name of the Metropolitan Opera to find and reread all of our reviews of its shows. And if you like this room, a click on “Add to favorites” at the top of its page will allow you to receive all its news by email.
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