The future is uncertain for the Syracuse Opera, announcing it has canceled the remainder of shows for the 2023-2024 season.
Syracuse.com has reported that the Syracuse Opera board chair Camille Tisdel said ticket sales are down 40-60% from where they were prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The company planned to have three more productions: “All is Calm,” The Fantasticks,” and “The Barber of Seville.”
Tisdel, in a note to members Friday, wrote “While our recent productions have been artistically excellent and impactful, like many opera companies across the country, ticket sales have been considerably lower than projected, and we do not have the financial ability to continue the season.” She also went on to stay that grant support, donations, and sponsorships are all in jeopardy because of the uncertainty in our world post-pandemic.
She also said that Syracuse Opera has one full-time and four part-time employees that will be furloughed.
The current season opened on Oct. 20 with “I Am a Dreamer Who No Longer Dreams” at the Redhouse Arts Center. The Syracuse Opera was founded in 1974, and was the only year-round professional opera company, opening many doors for the Central New York music community. Due to the pandemic, their revenue had decreased dramatically, with majority of the opera’s coming from donations, grants, and sponsorships.
As audience members keep declining, it is becoming more difficult to attract sponsors, Tisdel said. Government grants that helped keep organizations afloat have mostly gone away, making situations like these hard to deal with.
“The next 24 months, let’s say, are going to be a big challenge for theaters around the country,” Syracuse Stage artistic director Bob Hupp told the Post-Standard | syracuse.com in April. “It’s going to be tough before it gets better.”
The future of Syracuse Opera remains uncertain, and the board will decide in the coming months what to do next. Tisdel said ticketholders and subscribers will be contacted in the coming weeks about refunds.
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