Here’s an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 6,400 times in 2011. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 5 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

Love, Barbara

Ottawa, November 15, 2011 – Opera Lyra Ottawa (OLO) announced today that, despite presenting two artistically acclaimed productions earlier this fall, it has cancelled the two remaining productions of its 2011-2012 season due to a lack of financial resources. The company said it is reorganizing its operations to emerge in a stronger financial position next season.
Opera Lyra will return for its 28th season with a main stage presentation of La Bohème in Sept. 2012, and La Traviata in concert in March 2013.
“Since the economic downturn in 2008, we have had three consecutive years of severe financial challenges and simply do not have the funds available for these two productions,” said Malcolm McCulloch, Chair of Opera Lyra’s Board of Directors. “Opera Lyra is acknowledged as one of Canada’s foremost opera companies, but our subscriptions, single- ticket sales and private sponsorships have nevertheless declined significantly.”
The cancelled productions are The Flying Dutchman in concert, scheduled for February 29, 2012, and Tosca, scheduled for March 31 and April, 2, 4 and 7, 2012. OLO is doing this now to be fair to the artists, production staff, and everyone affected by the decision.

It’s shameful that cultural life is dying in the Nation’s Capital because of lack of financial support. Ottawa Ballet, the short-lived professional ballet company of our city, died in 1994 because of the same reason. It’s about time to consider Ralph Vaughan Willams’ quote:

The art of music above all the arts is the expression of the soul of a nation.

I can’t understand the lack of caring! In my native city, Budapest, there are two opera houses (the Hungarian State Opera House & the Erkel Theatre) that play operas and ballets every day of the week.

Hungarian State Opera House

Erkel Theatre

October 7. 2011.       Donizetti: Lucrezia Borgia

October 21. 2011.     Verdi: Il Trovatore

November 4. 2011.   Verdi: Aida

November 18. 2011. Verdi: La forza del Destino*

December 2. 2011.    Verdi: Attila

* Note to my LiR course participants: This presentation will illustrate my first lecture in the ongoing 2011 Fall Course. I will definitely attend it and answer any questions about the opera in the break.

Drop-in fee for these DVD presentations is $ 1.- Coffee and muffins are available in the break in Abbotsford’s elegant, old fashioned dining room for $1.- each.

The Abbotsford Community Centre is located in the Glebe at 950 Bank St. – across Lansdowne Park. Two major bus routes (#1 and #7) stop right outside the front door. There is parking in front of the building, but if it’s full, there is also free 3 hour parking on the surrounding side streets as well as free parking at Lansdowne Park on days when there is no major event.

Here is a before picture of the kitchen:

I will post an after photo when the transformation is completed…

Among other promising performances, Mozart’s Don Giovanni will be on the Cineplex theatres’ Live from the Met program. This reminded me of the NAC’s 1989 production of this opera, which has a special place in my heart because my son, Victor, who was 9 years old at the time, danced the part of Don Giovanni as a child, during the overture. This was an interesting idea from the director of the opera: he tried to explain why Don Giovanni became a womanizer, by starting his story – in the form of ballet – showing his childhood experiences.

Titania (Barbara Rabatin) & Bottom (the late Juan O'Neill) reading the Bard's masterpiece on Midsummer Night in 2005

TITANIA

Out of this wood do not desire to go:
Thou shalt remain here, whether thou wilt or no.
I am a spirit of no common rate;
The summer still doth tend upon my state;
And I do love thee: therefore, go with me;
I’ll give thee fairies to attend on thee,
And they shall fetch thee jewels from the deep,
And sing while thou on pressed flowers dost sleep;
And I will purge thy mortal grossness so
That thou shalt like an airy spirit go.