“Nobody wants to spend three or four hours of their life sitting through a mediocre opera performance, especially when you consider what tickets cost these days. But mediocre means ‘average,’ so, statistically speaking, if you go to the opera a lot, it means you’re going to be confronted with middling performances more often than not. You have to kiss a lot of frogs, right?” Our Own JJ crunches the numbers at the Met and LoftOpera in the New York Observer. (Photo: Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera)
Sometimes just pretzels and beer
Our Own JJ crunches the numbers at the Met and LoftOpera in the New York Observer.
By La Cieca La Cieca
James Jorden (who wrote under the names "La Cieca" and "Our Own JJ") was the founder and editor of parterre box. During his 20 year career as an opera critic he wrote for the New York Times, Opera, Gay City News, Opera Now, Musical America and the New York Post. He also raised his voice in punditry on National Public Radio. From time to time he directed opera, including three unsuccessful productions of Don Giovanni. He also contributed a regular column on opera for the New York Observer. James died in October 2023.
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