parterre box

43 comments

• benw says:

  TT is quick to mention Gelb’s million-dollar salary, but no one ever points out that, according to the Met’s most recent tax return, (link here: http://www.guidestar.org/FinDocuments/2007/131/624/2007-131624087-046f9971-9.pdf ), Levine was paid 1.5 million and Dwayne Croft took home $500,000. Mark Morris was paid something around $350,000 as well, and the Master Carpenter was near half a million. Sure, Gelb is the easy target here as the Head Honcho, but there are many other people taking a large share of the pie as well.

  I also laughed at loud at the phrase “Tony Tommasini think piece”.

  on February 8, 2009 at 1:29 PM
• Operaman says:

  Yes, “Tony Tommasini think piece” is right up there with “musical tenors”!

  on February 8, 2009 at 1:41 PM
• john says:

  Unbelievably, out here in storm-ravaged New Orleans, there is no movie house offering them.

  Not true. I imagine Lucia was carried yesterday. At any rate, the encore performances will be offered on Feb. 18 in Harvey and Elmwood. Check yahoo movies for the times.
  Judging from the broadcast, bel canto was in short supply. Piotr is a good tenor, but he doesn’t measure up to Bergonzi. And Netrebko should drop the role from her repertory asap.

  on February 8, 2009 at 1:45 PM
• Drammy says:

  I just hope Trebs doesn’t sing it again…please ;-]

  I wouldn’t mind seeing her Violetta live though, bien sur.

  on February 8, 2009 at 3:31 PM
• hndymn says:

  #22—thanks, John, for the update. The last time I checked was sometime last season and at the time one had to go to Baton Rouge or Gulfport to see the Met. I’ll be checking from now on…

  on February 8, 2009 at 5:00 PM
• MICHAEL says:

  -19, nelly versus rosalind, my god, two voiceless rivals. They should play this with microphones inserted into their larynxes.

  on February 8, 2009 at 6:31 PM
• Cassandra says:

  Amazing that Croft was the highest paid contractor. I wasn’t even aware that he was singing in the season. That means he makes absolute top fee per performance… for what exactly?

  on February 8, 2009 at 7:28 PM
• T1 says:

  I don’t think it means Croft necessarily makes top fee. I think it is more likely that he just did more performances (or covers).

  on February 8, 2009 at 7:52 PM
• richard says:

  No it doesn’t mean he got the top fee. It’s definitely due to a large number of performances.

  About 5 years ago I read some similar statistics. For that season Juan Pons and Ruth Ann Swenson were the largest earners. In neither case did they get the top fee, but they both sang loooooong seasons with multiple roles. It seemed like that were cast in anything even remotely suitable.

  This is largely the handiwork of that dynamic duo
  in the casting department at the Met. So imaginative!

  on February 8, 2009 at 8:00 PM
• La Cieca says:

  Cassandra: I’m not sure it means Croft makes the highest fee; rather it may mean he’s contracted for a very large number of performances. The report is for 2006, and the archive shows he sang 23 performances with the company that year including the new production of Butterfly. Presumably he also covered quite a bit as well.

  It may also be that Croft received some deferred compensation in 2006 from previous seasons, though I don’t know whether the Met makes that kind of deal with artists.

  Reports for previous years have shown the top contractors were people like Paul Plishka, i.e., who stay in New York most of the season and sing or cover a couple times a week that whole time.

  on February 8, 2009 at 8:00 PM