"Los Angeles Opera leaders concede that ticket income will fall $1 million to $1.5 million short of targets" and that donations are needed to save Achim Freyer's "Ring" from a small (Pacific) ocean of red ink, the LA Times reports. Even hardcore Wagnerians seem to have doubts about Achim Freyer's staging:
The nine days "is too long for everybody," said Kiyomi Lueck, treasurer of the Wagner Society of Hawaii, echoing officers from several other Wagner Societies around the country. And most of those Wagnerians say that Achim Freyer's abstract, symbolic, decidedly nontraditional approach to the "Ring" appeals to some but infuriates many, and may weigh into decisions not to set aside so much time and money.
"A lot of our members find the production a little too wacky," said Della Geffen, president of the Boston Wagner Society, where none of the 130 members signed up for a group offer for the L.A. "Ring." "People kind of scoff at it."
And prices are in the process of being slashed:
In response to lagging sales, L.A. Opera has offered deep discounts and far more flexibility. Until late March, buyers of non-obstructed seats had to purchase a full cycle for $350 to $2,200, which comes to $87.50 to $550 per show. Now, seats can be had for $50 to $275 per show, and you can choose a single performance instead of four.
Poor Achim!