While the New York City Opera has, in the last year, come about as close to a near death experience as an organization can without actually flatlining, it seems to be on its way to registering a steadier pulse. Defibrillators ready? All clear! A distinct sign of life, this week the tenacious company will present three free concerts at the sprawling and always-eclectic River To River Festival, which has successfully made lower Manhattan a hot spot for engaging performing arts—including all kinds of music, film, dance and theater—during the often-grueling summer months every year since 2002. Notably the NYC Opera is the only act that will actually perform from “river to river.” The Opera’s downtown tenure begins on Thursday, June 25 at Rockefeller Park with an abridged version of Mozart’s Magic Flute and continuing for the next two nights, with the company’s premiere of Massenet’s obscure one act La Navarraise on June 26 at the World Financial Center Winter Garden and “Opera on the River,” a mixed bill of arias and orchestral excerpts at The Seaport along the East River, on June 27.
“Aside from revitalizing lower Manhattan, our second tenet is to try and bring arts to new audiences. And we’re very excited we can hopefully introduce new folks to opera,” says Jody Kuh, who has been directing the summertime festival since 2007. Assuming Kuh is right in her assertion that 90 percent of River To River’s audiences say they are encouraged to go to more live performances, “free or paid,” the Opera will have plenty to be happy about.
Of course, the company won’t solve its financial ailments by giving free concerts but it will certainly gain praise and show promise, if it can prove that “The People’s Opera” isn’t just a slogan.
“We want to take opera as soon as possible out to the people,” says General Manager and Artistic Director George Steel. “This is a first step to getting the company back onstage.”
--
New York City Opera
June 25 through 27, various locations; visit www.rivertorivernyc.com for more information.
