parterre box

118 comments

• balabanov11 says:

  I love it when mrmyster posts – the more he goes on, the more threadbare his “knowledge” becomes – yeah, the NYCB will just waltz out of the theatre for which it was built, being an inferior artform to opera….

  on November 8, 2008 at 11:09 PM
• operboy says:

  Artist as leader of NYCO? Sills was one such person, going out at lunch and coming back with the payroll for the week. Whatever one thinks of her tenure, she was a superb fundraiser. And when she left the company after 10 years there was 10 million in the bank.

  Not forgotten is her repudiation at a NYCO gala of the badmouthing of the State Theatre by Kellogg with the latter standing in the wings. As well, she decired the use of amplification. I admired her guts, straight talk and fearlessness!

  NYCO needs someone with all three of those qualities.

  on November 8, 2008 at 11:21 PM
• mrmyster says:

  #71: Mr Balab – sorry bud, read it again. I don’t want NYCO to throw NYCB out of the theatre — I want NYCO out of that theatre and out of Lincoln Ctr. Did you not catch that? No doubt the Met would share Koch Theatre with NYCB. Knowlege “threadbare.” Whoever said I had knowledge? I do, however, know how to read and understand English.
  Regards from
  Out West

  on November 8, 2008 at 11:30 PM
• Brooklynpunk says:

  dcrazmo(#63):

  If nothing else (and there HAS BEEN much else that NYCO has added to the cultural health of the City, and community at large)…the VOX program and its annual FREE music festival (in its 10th year) have been important feathers in NYCO’s cap.

  Its been a vital source of getting modern composers/directors/librettists/performers works out and performed before other collegues and professionals in the biz–and to an interested audience

  on November 9, 2008 at 3:09 AM
• Ian says:

  Agreed brooklynpunk, the loss of VOX would be terrible. Gelb has his grand plans for development of new work, but nothing seems to have actually gone anywhere yet except the cancellation of Rufus’ work because it was in French. VOX is vital for American opera.

  on November 9, 2008 at 9:37 AM
• Dawn Fatale says:

  I certainly agree that the State Theater was a less than ideal venue for the NYCO – despite whatever Beverly Sills thought. Singers disliked performing there because they got no sense of how their voice was carrying in the house – not a good situation for young singers to find themselves in.

  However, maybe we should see how the acoustical renovations turn out as I don’t see where the money for a new theater would come from.

  Also, a renovaated Broadway house would be a poor venue for an opera company doing works in repertory. All Broadway houses are space constrained. There is basically enough space for whatever show is going on and little more. Trying to squeeze the sets and costumes for even 2 productions into a renovated Broadway house at one time is unlikely to work. This was the problem that plagued the old Met. The old Met may have had a large auditorium but in terms of stage and storage space was not too dissimilar for a Broadway theatre.

  A new house would be the only solution and the NYC street grid has very few sites that are big enough for a proper opera house. The NYCO was in advanced discussions to build a new venue within the building going up on the site of the old Red Cross HQ behind Lincoln Center. Of course, this fell through even though it would have been ideal.

  The NYCO Board was unable to get anything done long before they entered into their deadly embrace with Mortier.

  on November 9, 2008 at 9:59 AM
• Nextgneration says:

  NYCO also does great education programs. My niece came back from one of their family programs and is now hooked. I then took her to one of their Opera for all series where every seat was $25. The house was packed with young people and they even showed an instructional video before it began. Great stuff.

  on November 9, 2008 at 10:08 AM
• Dominatrix says:

  Sorry mrmyster, but you are way off base on your comments about Milnes. Mortier is a piece of garbage, yet he was offered the job. Milnes is a quality musician who knows singing & conducting. But the most important quality is he knows the NYCO. He would be the perfect choice, and yes, he has the personality to handle the Board, and has the depth of knowledge to set up young artist programs & community outreach programs, more so than Mortier, who’s a stuck up snob.

  on November 9, 2008 at 3:59 PM
• Quanto Painy Fakor says:

  I rather like the idea of Sherill Milnes as the new head of City Opera. Get rid of that Baker lady and go for it!

  on November 9, 2008 at 6:03 PM
• mrmyster says:

  Well Miss Dom, have it your way if you insist! But I rather had in mind running Milnes for the Senate from Connecticut in place of Lieberman. Would that catch your fancy?
  Let’s put somebody younger, fresher, more business oriented and with no artistic axe to grind in at NYCO. As for Ms. Baker – who cares, as long as she just disappears. She’s now made her mark.

  on November 9, 2008 at 6:51 PM