Levine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood

“[James] Levine is annoyed by the question of why the Metropolitan goes through the expense of restaging operas. ‘There’s every reason to do a new Aida, burnt costumes or no. How many years can you ask your subscribers to see the same production? That’s one reason. Another is that once you’ve seen a production or played it a number of times the flaws in it become more irritating. Time marches on and the production remains the same. Nothing should remain frozen in the performing arts.” New York Times, February 1, 1976.