An unquiet place
With the new opera season about to begin in The Venue Formerly Known as The New York State Theater, what better time to recall what else David H. Koch does with his spare billions, i.e., conniving to deprive Americans of affordable healthcare, as well as “to conflate crony capitalism with free enterprise, and free enterprise with personal liberty.” [The Guardian]
Dump Koch!, as we used to say…
Ugh, next week’s election is actually happening isn’t it. I just spent a week in Vegas and realize that this man is partially the reason why Sharon Angle may become a U.S. Senator.
i heard Koch bought the state theater to revive the great broadway traditions of the 1st half of the 20th century, to produce performances of “Dubarry was a Lady”, “Caterine was Great”, etc., of course to showcase himself as the leading lady in these drag revivals.
What better fate could the State Theater have averted?
Actually, it’s that his fellow billionaire Tea Party-funder Richard Scaife wants to appear in the Brenda Lewis part in THE GIRL IN PINK TIGHTS.
So what is one to do? Cancel the City Opera and Ballet seasons?
La Cieca was hoping for something along these lines.
As an alternative:
That’s a real spoiler!
Brilliant. Unfortunately, Steele & Co. probably have more brains than to trot Koch out for a curtain call at opening night to thanks him for his generosity. Or do they?
Love La Close in this scene. Talk about grandezza!
YES
My Irmgard is spinning in her grave in Wien at even the mention of this dreadful family’s name. And he is smiling . . .
is anyone going to turn on Siruis/XM tonite for Trovatore… perhaps her highness Koch will be interviewed during the intermission… after all, what do we know ????????
Why the NY State Theatre changed its name ?
What would happen if Vienna State, Covent Garden, Metropolitan, Opéra de Paris, Bastille, Monnaie, La Scala etc
were given new names of local parvenus ?
Monnaie…….
Your list does not, after all, compare apples to apples. They didn’t change the name of the New York City Opera any more than the Opéra de Paris became the Opéra de Garnier.
Of course the NYCO could have followed the example of the Paris Opera and named their house after Philip Johnson, which would not necessarily have been better than what they (and the Ballet, don’t forget) have done.
If he was a rich liberal you would all be singing a different tune.
oh rest, he could always convert!
And what a happy tune it would be!
Seriously, though, if he were only a rich conservative it would be a par-for-the-course issue of branding — slightly annoying, fairly common. But must he go about scribbling “P.O.E.” on the mirrors in the dressing rooms?
Liberals are insufferable for any number of off topic reasons, but for the most part, liberal billionaire’s do not match their donations to the arts with donations to political causes that seek to subjugate working and middle class people to corporate oligarchy. So yes, the tune would be different because Koch is different from a liberal. Here’s your award for statement of the obvious.
Thank you ON.
If he was a rich liberal I doubt he would have helped fund the anti-gay marriage proposition in California.
I’m surprised there’s been no attempt (or even talk of an attempt) to protest or (not that I’m advocating it…) vandalize the sign on the theatre advertising Koch’s sponsorship. The important thing is to make the Koch association a liability for the companies themselves (NYCO, NYCB, and LCftPA). They don’t have to refuse his money, but they can refuse to advertise it and, by doing so, allow him to buy respectability he doesn’t deserve.
don’t worry about it Miles, that Koch blossom will fade quicker than you think … American politics shifts gears much faster than in Europe, Russia, etc.
Well, I’ve spit in the direction of the theatre last time I was at Lincoln Center. About the best I can do.
Could someone please piss on the side of the New York State Theatre for me, preferably under the plaque, for him making those of us in California vote on a proposition on the ballot next Thursday to “suspend implementation of air pollution control law (AB 32) requiring major sources of emissions to report and reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming, until unemployment drops to 5.5 percent or less for a full year” — which coincidentally has been the case three times, for a couple of years each time, in the last 40 years, according to my voter pamphlet. Please indulge in a few beers before your oblation to increase volume.
http://www.StopDirtyEnergyProp.com/contributions.php
Tuesday