star reporter
La Cieca extends her congratulations to her little sister Opera Chic for a namecheck in the AP story by Ronald Blum on the Met’s 2009-10 production cutbacks. According to Blum’s story, dropping Ghosts of Versailles from the Met’s repertoire will save “more than $1 million.”
In the unfortunately ongoing “more bad news” section, La Cieca has learned that San Francisco Opera’s costcutting measures will include dropping Peter Grimes from next season.
I imagined that cutting The Ghosts of Versailles would have saved many millions. A million and change in savings, compared to their total operating budget, really isn’t all that much money to save OR spend.
I’m sure it costs many millions to put on, but once one factors in the contracted singers who have to be paid anyway and the costs associated with the Traviata revival, then a million bucks in savings is still alot of money. That’s ten $100K donations that would have to be brought in to make up the difference.
I have also heard from the administrative staff that the first process of beginning the “lay off” procedure has begun. Job descriptions have been requested from administrative staff…yikes
Is PETER GRIMES being replaced at SFO, or just dropped?
I’m always amazed when managements (in any business) request staff to provide their own job descriptions. Like, shouldn’t they know already?
Ian: unless your firm has a cracker-jack HR deprtment, job descriptions become dated. at a minimum, they need refreshing.
more often than not, though, the truth is closer to what you suggest: i am shocked at how often job descriptions simply don’t exist in large organizations.
also, in this context, there’s a tactical advantage to asking for JDs even if you do have them and they are current, if you know what i mean.
I’ve had this confirmed- Peter Grimes has been Canceled, and is not being replaced. Son of a bitch, I was really looking forward to this. I guess I’ll have to go elsewhere for my Brittan fix next September.
Its happening everywhere and in most of the performing arts. Last night I attended a performance of La Somnambule – not a spelling mistake this was a lovely production of Hérold’s romantic ballet from 1827 – and at the intermission was chatting with a set and costume designer. She told me a production of Don Quixote she had designed for Firenze was cancelled. The sets were already half painted and costumes had been started and now the plug has been pulled.
According to Opera Chic Bologna has cancelled two of its announced productions and several opera houses, including San Carlo that was in receivership, have not announced upcoming seasons as of yet. And it looks like further cancelations are on the horizon.
And I spoke too soon – San Carlo has just announced their season – down to 3 operas (Peter Grimes – maybe they’ve taken over the SFO production – Damnation of Faust and Die Entfuehrung) plus 2 ballets and nothing past the end of May.
Ian : I agree. It is the tactic used, before someone has the audacity to ‘write one, on the ones doing the asking’. It is rather insane- asking people to write out the reasons for their own workplace ‘elimination / execution’. Pad the report, the administration will try to punch ratholes in it and declare the writers are out of touch or self possessed egotists; and have ‘to go’. Writing instead a honest though modest report- gives the administration -the opportunity to feel very self assured in their decision to fire anyway; as ‘no longer required to the needs of this operation’. On November 14, 2008 at 5:48 pm, Ian screamed:
I’m always amazed when managements (in any business) request staff to provide their own job descriptions. Like, shouldn’t they know already?