Mensaje de Michael Fabiano sobre la cancelación:
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From Michael Fabiano:
A word about the announcement of the Metropolitan Opera from today.
I stand in solidarity with all my colleagues, friends, and acquaintances who are affected by the closure of the MET for the entire 20-21 season
The Metropolitan Opera, like many other North American theaters, is facing an unprecedented problem. The answer to MOST theaters in North America is found in new, creative, innovative programming that mitigates risk of the public and staff while keeping the artistic engine on. There are solutions and a there are a noted few leaders who are trying their best to crack the code. The categorical cessation of work for artists in most major theaters is preventable and does not need to come to this.
I encourage the boards of legacy theaters to demand creativity, boldness, and grit in this time from artistic leadership. Fear and panic is not a reason to end operations for years. Being in Spain, where there is a certain surge in COVID incidents, has not prevented art from restarting and artists having their basic human dignity affirmed. We are working. The public is coming (a notion that I’ve seen many leaders allege won’t happen in the US). Staff and patrons are safe; health protocols are followed; COVID incidents essentially do not exist. The theater world knows the playbook of health and safety better than any other industry.
Without culture, there is no society. Leaders of arts institutions have a moral obligation to society to keep culture alive. We can do it. We must do it. The public deserves it. We will survive. We will never surrender.
If we’ve learned anything from this crisis, it’s that the ARTIST is king. The performer is the anchor. The voice reigns supreme. No theater that doesn’t promote artists as fundamental to their work ethos and culture after this pandemic subsides, should reconsider their mission and vision. Without the opera singer, there is no opera. Without the voice, there is no song to sing. Artists merit respect, dignity, and decency in this time and little of it is being shown to our large community. The lack of employment to all of the staff who support the theaters, from crew to instrumentalists, administration to journalists is horrendous and avoidable.
The loss of the MET season is absolutely a disaster. It is also not the end. We will be stronger, mightier, and more worthy than before.
May we resolve ourselves to remain positive and filled with energy in the face of gale force winds so that when the storm calms, our ship sails forward, weathered, but ready to reach its next destination with more passion and preparedness than ever before.
We will overcome. Society demands it. Culture will triumph.