The people have spoken, and so from henceforth George Steel will be known by his, whatchamacallit, you know, his sobriquet, which (per your decree) is “The Man of Steel.”

La Cieca thought she should review at least a couple of the biggest challenges facing The Man of Steel as he and the NYCO begin a restoration project that, as the saying goes, makes Hoover Dam look like an egg cup.

First and foremost, of course, is giving the heave-ho to Susan L. Baker, preferably after guilting her into flinging a couple million bucks to the company strings-free. Since (as La Cieca hears) Steel was not Baker’s choice to ascend the throne, she should reasonably be readying her exit even as we speak. Prediction: an announced resignation at the same time Steel offcially starts the job in February. 

Now the hard part.  In every medium sized or larger opera company, there are a number of department heads who take on specialized tasks: you might think of them as the worker bees of the hive, whereas the General Director is more of a queen. (Though this is not always true; in fact, La Cieca hears whispers that one big advantage Steel has with the current NYCO board is that he is a smooth pimp who loves the pussy. Or, to put it in a less litigation-friendly way, rumor has it that the board were quietly hoping for a nice straight family man type for the job. But let us not go too far afield, or for that matter, let us not talk about pussy this early in the morning. Ewww.)

To continue. Among these positions that are both generally understood as necessary and currently vacant at the New York City Opera are Chief Financial Officer and Artistic Administrator. The latter of these two positions is particularly crucial because over the last decade the AA at NYCO has been Robin Thompson, who actually expanded the role to include broader artistic decisions that strictly speaking should have been made by Paul Kellogg. (In his defense, Kellogg was a very busy man during that era, what with lobbying the city to make NYCO a gift of a brand new opera house and keeping his bowtie collection neatly arranged.)

So these are two of the about five major vacancies that need to be filled at NYCO like, immediately, and these are exactly the type of job that tend to require a many-month search for a right fit, which of course includes finding someone who is actually available.

Oh, and did I mention Development Director? That spot is vacant at NYCO right now too, and obviously these next couple of seasons are going to be all about finding new sources of philanthropy. La Cieca is told that one of the selling points offered the board about the selection of Gerard Mortier lo those many months ago was that the big name would inspire a veritable flood of new benefactors to the company, thus funding his extravagant plans. Sadly (if you look at it that way), Mortier turned out to be pretty much a dud as a cash cow; according to La Cieca’s sources, donations to the company stayed more or less flat after the Mortier announcement.

Now, it may well be that The Man of Steel can charm the gold teeth out of a dowager or two; he has a reputation as a charismatic guy. But keep in mind that every hour spent fundraising is an hour spent away from creation and administration, which until now anyway have seemed like Steel’s strong suits.

Before taking a break, La Cieca will repeat a rumor she heard about either the first NYCO season or maybe the one after that. The Man of Steel, one hears, has posited the idea of “theme seasons” — you know, “in their various ways each of these operas is about the changing role of women in the Faust legend,” that kind of thing. One season theme title La Cieca has heard is “The Perfume of French Opera,” which would make for a great tie-in with Susan Graham‘s fragrance launch.

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La Cieca is looking for a member of the cher public who is already planning to attend the opening night gala at the Met and is willing to write about it for parterre.com. Your doyenne will need 400 – 600 words by 11 AM on Tuesday, September 23 for publication that day with your byline. If you are willing to commit to getting in a review of the night’s festivities by this deadline, contact lacieca@parterre.com.  Preference will be given to regular commenters, and attendance at the “La Voce Renée Fleming” launch party is a definite plus, but not required.

With the opening night of the Metropolitan Opera’s 2008-2009 season barely a month away, La Cieca is already half-drunk with the sheer glamour of it all. Not only will this first night boast a bouquet of bonbons from Renée Fleming‘s greatest rôles (and, frankly, aren’t they all?), but the musical experience will be enhanced by the tetralogy of fabulous couture gowns in which the Diva of the Future will be swathed.

As if this sensual surfeit were not more than enough to reduce even the most jaded operaphile to a quivering mass of jelly, the evening will achieve its climax with the launch of that ebony-accorded aroma of which we will surely all be redolent ere long, La Voce Renée Fleming.

The lights! The glamour! The paparazzi! The elegant procession of boldfaced names into the Metropolitan Opera through the Lincoln Center’s legendary Josie Robertson Plaza… Wait, just a moment, what was that?

Well, cher public, thank goodness it turns out that the red carpet VIPs will not in fact have to wend their way through the parking garage; in fact, the glitterari will be able to enter the Met the way Gelb intended, through the front doors. Though it does seem like trying to funnel 4,000 people in from Damrosch Park might lead to a bottleneck or two. Keep an eye on the Met website for updates on how exactly one should approach the Fleming Follies.

Oh, and for those of you who prefer to enjoy your opera snippets al fresco (and I think you know who you are), the now-traditional opening night simulcast will take place, though for this year at least it will be relocated to Fordham University’s North Meadow. Now doesn’t that sound just bucolic?

Oh, heavens! La Cieca has just been informed that, with the Plaza under still under construction on September 22, opening night — The Fleming Gala! — will be forced underground!

Literally. As it stands now, it looks like the only way into the Met on opening night will be through the Concourse. Which is, not to put too fine a point on it, another way of saying “through the parking garage.”

Glam?

According to Variety, America’s Soprano Renée Fleming is poised to conquer new worlds of entertainment. Not content to rest on her laurels as diva, scent entrepreneur, dessert namesake and single working mother, Fleming has signed with talent agency Paradigm who promise to “scout out opportunities in thesping, endorsement, publishing and digital media” for the artist “with the goal of expanding her profile beyond the opera world and into pop culture.”

La Fleming was introduced to paradigm tenpercenter Jack Tantleff by Francesca Zambello, the erstwhile opera director who will be remembered by posterity as the helmer of the criticially acclaimed musical The Little Mermaid.

Although Variety does not record the conversation that took place between Zambello and Fleming leading to the soprano’s decision, La Cieca has taken the liberty of reconstructing the scene. According to Ms. Fleming, ”There I was in Ms. Zambello’s office, and she was saying to me, ‘Renée, get yourself some new orchestrations, new routines and red velvet curtains. Get a feathered hat for the baby; photographs in front of the theater. Get an agent and in jig time you’ll be being booked in the big time!’ Oh, what a dream!”

The showbiz chronicle helpfully reminds the public of the whirlwind schedule of The Diva of the Future, who upon her return from serenading the Olympians will ”topline the Met’s opening night gala Sept. 22, an event that also serves as the launch of her perfume.”

At long last, scent-lovers who want a perfume container that looks like the powder room chez Alberto Vilar will get their wish. The packaging for “La Voce Renée Fleming” has been unveiled!

Of course looking at anything associated with The Beautiful Voice is only half the fun. Naturally everyone wants to know exactly how “Renée Fleming” smells. Well, wonder no more:

The top notes introduce aromas of passion fruit and mushroom sort Tuber magnatum (white truffle). The heart encompasses jasmine and lily of the valley, while the base notes include chocolate mousse and accords of ebony.

“La Voce Renée Fleming” will retail for $200 per 1.7 ounce bottle, with profits (when, as and if) going to the Metropolitan Opera.

“Discovering that music and fragrance have harmony and even individual notes in common has taken me on a delightful journey. How wonderful then, that Coty is enabling the Metropolitan Opera to benefit, combining luxurious scent and sound,” commented Fleming.