O.C. opera troupe axes ‘Penzance’
In a severe belt-tightening move, Opera Pacific has canceled an outdoor performance of Gilbert & Sullivan’s “The Pirates of Penzance” announced for August at the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa and also has scotched plans for a new production of Verdi’s “Aida” for April 2006 during its main season at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. The Santa Ana-based company will use an existing production of “Aida” from L’Opera de Montreal instead.
“The fiscal health for the organization has been the paramount concern since my arrival five months ago,” the company’s president and executive director, Robert C. Jones, said in a statement Tuesday. “There was the real possibility of dissolution and our largest goal is to stabilize the company financially. Together, canceling ‘Pirates’ and using an existing production of ‘Aida’ will result in a net savings to the company of over $1 million for next season.”
The company’s budget this season is $9.2 million.
The biggest entertainment stories
Get our big stories about Hollywood, film, television, music, arts, culture and more right in your inbox as soon as they publish.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
