America’s opera companies got together last week to talk about business. The news isn’t good. “To keep the most expensive of the performing arts alive in a slumping economy, opera companies are cutting services, staff and productions, dipping into cash reserves and adjusting their budgets for lean years ahead. Administrators from two of the three midsize opera companies at a breakout session said they were dropping works from next season’s schedule. The wolf’s at the door, and opera folks have no place to hide.”