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PEOPLE & ARTS Saturday 21 March 2020
Met Opera cancels season, stops pay of orchestra, chorus

By RONALD BLUM outcome for these musi-
Associated Press cians."
NEW YORK (AP) — The Met- Technical rehearsals for
ropolitan Opera is cancel- next season's new produc-
ing the rest of its season tions will be compromised,
and stopping the pay of Gelb said. The chorus usu-
the orchestra, chorus and ally returns to the Met at
other unionized employees the start of August and the
at the end of March due to orchestra right after Labor
the new coronavirus. Day.
The Met last week called The Met, citing force ma-
off performances through jeure, is not paying indi-
March 31. vidual singers for canceled
Met general manager performances.
Peter Gelb said he is giv- "In the history of theater and
ing up his $1.45 million sal- opera, in force majeure sit-
ary until normal operations uations, artists who are very
resume and higher-paid well compensated, such
members of his administra- as those who perform at
tive staff are having their the Met, do not get paid.
pay reduced — by 10% for That's why their contracts
everyone earning more are written in such a fash-
than $125,000 and by 25%- This March 12, 2020 file photo shows a few people at Josie Robertson Plaza in front of The Metro- ion," Gelb said. "That does
50% at the top of the pay politan Opera house, background center, at Lincoln Center in New York. not mean that we are not
scale. The Met is launching Associated Press sympathetic and support-
an emergency fundraising ive of them. For the Met to
drive of $50 million to $60 assign it to a future perfor- resents the chorus and ing this pandemic." be able to come back and
million and has obtained mance." singers, viewed the Met's "Our artists are facing a be a house they are able
pledges from its board for With a $308 million budget step as mandatory unpaid scary and uncertain fu- to perform in in the fall, it
$11 million of that. this season, the Met is the leave rather than layoffs ture," AGMA said. "They de- has to be strong and has to
"We have significant cash- largest performing-arts insti- since no artist contracts will pend on performance and survive."
flow issues that we have tution in the U.S. Its season be canceled. rehearsal fees to survive The Lyric Opera of Chica-
to deal with right now be- was to have ended May Health care coverage for and they are out of work go, which called off its high-
cause of the loss of the box 9, and its 2020-21 season employees who receive it indefinitely." ly anticipated presentation
office," Gelb said in an in- opens Sept. 21. The cri- through the Met will con- Local 802 said orchestra of Wagner's Ring Cycle, is
terview. "We're also at the sis forced cancellation of tinue, a decision praised members and their families paying the singers 10%, the
same time encouraging about one-third of the sea- by AMGA and Local 802 of "are now facing the pros- company said. The Atlanta
ticket buyers to donate son and three high-defini- the American Federation pect of no income for an Opera, a smaller regional
their tickets rather than tion telecasts to movie the- of Musicians, which rep- extended period of time. company, paid its cast
take refunds or at least put aters around the world. resents the orchestra. Still, We believe that immediate for the two canceled per-
their money on account so The American Guild of AGMA said in a statement governmental assistance is formances of "Porgy and
we can hold onto it and re- Musical Artists, which rep- "it's simply not enough dur- essential to avoid a brutal Bess." q

Placido Domingo resigns from opera union, donates $500,000

By JOCELYN GECKER while he held manage- conduct" with women be-
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Su- ment positions at LA Opera tween 1986 and 2019. Do-
perstar Plácido Domingo and Washington National mingo helped found the LA
has resigned from the U.S. Opera. Opera in the 1980s and led
union that represents op- AGMA announced that the company as general
era singers and will con- its four-month investiga- director from 2003 until last
tribute $500,000 to sexual tion found Domingo had October, when he stepped
harassment eradication "engaged in inappropriate down after the allegations
programs and a fund that activity, ranging from flirta- surfaced.
helps opera employees in tion to sexual advances, In announcing Domingo's
crisis, the union said Friday. in and outside of the work- resignation, AGMA also
The development came place." Details of the alle- said the union had with-
weeks after investigations gations were not released, drawn disciplinary charges
by the American Guild of but people familiar with the filed against singer as a re-
Musical Artists and Los An- investigation who spoke sult of its investigation. Dis-
geles Opera found sexual to the AP on condition of ciplinary action could have In this July 12, 2019 file photo, opera singer Placido Domingo
harassment allegations anonymity said investiga- ranged from fines to expul- speaks during a news conference about an upcoming show in
against the famed tenor, tors found 27 people were sion. Madrid, Spain.
now 79, to be credible. sexually harassed or had Union officials contacted Associated Press
The investigations were witnessed inappropriate by the AP said they had
launched after the publi- behavior by Domingo in no additional comment, fectively been shut by the the industry unemployed.
cation of Associated Press the 1990s and 2000s. and Domingo's represen- coronavirus pandemic, The union has encouraged
stories last year in which LA Opera said its investiga- tative did not immediately which has halted travel and members affected by the
multiple women accused tors had received 10 ac- respond to a request for led companies across the crisis to apply for finan-
Domingo of harassment cusations that Domingo comment. globe to close theaters in- cial assistance to its relief
and abusing his power engaged in "inappropriate The opera world has ef- definitely, leaving much of fund.q