“Through a series of innovative efforts, European cultural institutions like La Scala and the Paris Opera are attracting a younger set,” writes Jennifer Clark in Tuesday’s (6/19) Wall Street Journal (subscription required). “La Scala’s longtime special season premieres in its Under30 program—with tickets at €20 ($23.22)—have proved to be wildly popular. The Paris Opera has introduced a similar program and in June debuted a ‘Phantom of the Opera’ game that lets players roam through its historic venue…. London’s Royal Opera is planning to expand its youth program next season. New York’s Metropolitan Opera in 2015 started Fridays Under 40 … at $100 for an orchestra seat…. 3,000 tickets were sold through Fridays Under 40 for the 2017-18 season…. La Scala’s youth and elderly attendance has increased by 30% over the past three years and now some 20% of the theater’s tickets are sold to these two age groups, says Alexander Pereira, the theater’s manager and artistic director. He points to a new program of hour-long, simplified matinee performances of classic operas he introduced for children and their parents. ‘You have to accept that you lost some of the public,’ he said…. ‘Let’s start from zero. Let’s start with the 4-to-10-year-olds.’ ”
Posted June 22, 2018
