Operatic Dinner Theatre, or, How to Destroy The People's Opera

In the early 1940s, during the darker days of World War II, New York Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia and philanthropist Newbold Morris decided what was needed for morale was an opera company that catered to plain, old fashioned people. To that end, they founded New York City Opera. Since that time, NYCO provided a rich mix of familiar operas along with contemporary works. It developoed quite a roster of world class talent: Beverly Sills, Norman Treigle, a young Placido Domingo and many others honed their craft first at City Center and then the New York State Theatre at Lincoln Center. Ticket prices were affordable. NYCO's leadership, from Julius Rudel through Beverly Sills and Christopher Keene to Paul Kellogg, insured the company lived up to its mission as The People's Opera.

Then, a dark day. Board chair Susan Baker decided NYCO's wheel needed reinvention. She decided to hire as Paul Kellogg's successor a man who never lead an American company or a company that didn't recieve at least 60% of its revenue from government subsidy. She promised him a production budget of 63% more than NYCO had ever spent, albeit in the face of a budget shortfall of $8 million. She even let him wait three years before taking over full time. During those three years, NYCO went dark for one year while renovations were performed on the theatre, including changing its name to the David Koch (yes, that David Koch). When the three years was up, this new, revolutionary, whell changing manager, Gerard Mortier, decided not to come. He had discovered that NYCO had a pittance in subsidy, a large deficit and no chance of providing $60 million for productions.

Not deterred by this failure, our intrepid Ms Baker hired one George Steele, who had never managed a major opera company before. He decides to cut NYCO's season down and try to break its contracts with singers and musicians. Last month, he announced that NYCO will leave its newly renovated theatre for venues as yet unknown performing operas as yet unknown. At a time when subscribers should be renewing, NYCO is stuck in a holding pattern.

When pressed by the company as to his plans, Mr. Steele replied with a blueprint that is little better than operatic dinner theatre. Once again, he said that all contracts must be re-negotiated and singers/musicians must take a lot less. My wife sang for this company. She will probably never sing there again. In fact, if one reads between the lines, the next announcement from NYCO may very well be Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Therefore, all that is left for me to say is, "Wanted, for the murder of The People's Opera; Susan Baker, Gerard Mortier, George Steele and the New York City Opera Board of Directors.

The Pastors at SP&SA

In the wake of the Marriage Equality Act becoming law in New York, some highly disgruntled bishops of the Roman Church seemed to claim that civilization as we know it is coming to an end. First, if it means an end to institutional bigotry on any level, great. Second, click on the link below to find clergy that really know the score.

http://www.stpaulandstandrew.org/home/about/our-pastors/

Happy New Year

Ah, 2011. Two birthdays within the first five days, the grandmothers! If Dad were still alive, it would be three in the first five, symmetrically spaced on the First, Third and Fifth of the month. Cats are good, Erin has graduated from Disney Princesses to American Girl and I anticipate a Congress that gets less than nothing done. Oh, well, there's always the 2012 election to look forward too.

Haste makes Waste

I've refrained from commenting on the Sherrod matter because I wanted the dust to settle. My take is that we have seen the "Get it first, get it fast, get it now" mentality which we have been living with exposed. We seem to be so interested in speed that accuracy gets sacrificed. Research anything? Forget it. Take a minute to make sure we "get it right?" Not in this instant gratification world we seem to live in. Let me know when that changes. In the meantime, you won't be able to call me on a cell phone because I don't own one. When I absolutely need one, my wife lends me hers. If you're interested in what I think, not to mention where I am, you'll just have to patient. I live in a slower world, one that is concerned with accuracy over speed, quality over quantity.

In other news that I'm sure no one is interested in (since no one seems to be reading this blog), the wonderful folks at the Diabetes Care Clinic at the NY VA Hospital, most of whom actually work at NYU Med Center, seem to think that synthetic insulin is better than real insulin. They really went to town with me the other day trying to convince me to switch. However I, the dinosaur, refused. Why? Somehow, I don't think there is much we can do that improves upon nature, expecially that which goes into my body. Call me a troglodyte, but that's just the way I am.

But seriously, folks

In my other life, I'm an extremely progressive-liberal Army veteran. As such, I find the rantings of the right wingnuts who infect our society to be a matter of concern. However, when they open wide and insert foot, not to mention open back passage wide and insert head, it is funnier than all get out. Take Sister Sarah Palin, half governor of the great state of Alaska. She wants to mobilize all the pink elephants out there. I'm wondering, how often has she seen the Walt Disney classic "Dumbo?" Does she think it's a true story? Keith Olbermann is right (as usual), that woman is an idiot.

The there's Glenn "I consistantly rip off a Dave Foley Kids In The Hall Sketch" Beck. The other day, he demanded to know why there is no film or video of Senator Robert Byrd filibustering the Civil Rights Act of 1964 when it was up for debate in the US Senate. In 1964. Years before any kind of electronic recording device, never mind a camera, was allowed in the Senate Chamber. I had to check my Polaroid before entering the Senate Chamber's visitors gallery when I went there on my 8th Grade Class Trip. In 1971. 1971 came after 1964. On that day, I heard Senator Edward M Kennedy of Massachusetts propose National Health Care during morning business. There was no video of that. No film, either. Just the Congressional Record. On paper. Transcribed by a stenographer. The same as in 1964, which came before 1971. The record is there. It has never been expunged, altered, amended or any other kind of change. Senator Robert Byrd filibustered the Civil Rights Act of 1964. He failed. It passed. He later regretted doing it. Almost every obituary I have seen or read concerning Senator Byrd covered this historical fact in detail. They also covered the fact he used to bring in a ton of pork barrel funding for his state, which is one of the poorest in the nation. Unfortunately, his pork barrel spending included forcing Amtrak to run a regular schedule of trains between Washington, DC and Martinsburg, WV. Very few people rode it and it finally was terminated after a number of years. They unofficially called it "The Byrd Express." However, Beck can't even get his conspiracy theories out without running smack dab into a brick wall called historical fact. There's no video or film because none was shot. It wasn't shot because it wasn't allowed. It didn't become allowed for a goodly number of years after 1964. There's no cover-up, no grand conspiracy against the truth. It doesn't exist. Why not try another one of Keith Olbermann's ideas when a video record doesn't exist, puppets? That's right, puppets! Knock yourself out with all kinds of hand puppets, marionettes, whatever. Do all the voices yourself. What, you're not a mimic? Can't you find one or two? Once again, Olbermann is right. Glenn "Reality, what a concept! I know nothing about it" Beck, now and forever, the Worst Person, In The WORRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRLD!

Let's Send Youk to Anaheim

I really think that Kevin Youkilis, formerly known as The Greek God of Walks, is worthy of selection to the 2010 All Star Game. The problem, the Yankee propaganda machine has plumped for Nick Swisher, he of the all bat, no field persuasion, to take the last spot away from our Youk. Let's see, Youk, the all around player, owner of the longest errorless streak among first basemen, plays third as well, also been known to play the outfield, hits a ton, never gives up an at bat versus Swisher, a product of Steinbrenner/Sterling puffery. It should be a no-brainer, but it isn't. So, here's a great link to make sure justice and Youk triumph:

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/all_star/y2010/fv/ballot_pop.html?tcid=cp_fm2010_ballot&cmpid=425903&cme=13520

Red Sox Nation expects all to do their duty.

Football and Technology

So, in the wake of some apalling decisions by the match officials at the World Cup, the cry goes up anew for technology to be added to the game. Well, as far as goal/no goal goes, either a goal judge standing alongside the netting or some form of replay might be in order. Otherwise, kindly keep your technology out of the game. I still haven't seen a foolproof method for video to judge offside or a foul, since the camera has its own angle which is not necessarily the proper one. The real problem is match commentators who know nothing of the laws. This includes former players and managers who infect or TV coverage with their often uninformed views and lack of knowledge concerning the laws. If you ask most of them about the offside law, they'll go one and on about the second last defender but never once talk about where the ball is. there was even one former player turned pundit, an international yet (OK, it was Ty Keogh), who would describe a player as being in an offside position on a throw-in at least one time a year. I'll bet his father Harry had something to say about that. Lord, spare me from the pundits.