The Case For A New York City Opera

We remember the “old, scrappy, ambitious days of City Opera, when there was nowhere else in New York to hear standard-repertory operas with young American singers at low prices. Now, American singers work in houses all over the U.S. and Europe, and you can hear a better cast at a Met HD transmission for $25. As for staging new and unusual work, if it’s “Prima Donna,” then why bother? City Opera will have to come up with a more compelling artistic profile if it is going to survive.”