“At a ‘Fridays Under 40’ party earlier this month, young opera prospects, some donning tuxedos and gowns, took selfies with cast extras and mingled over wine and cheese in a space below one of the Metropolitan Opera’s signature Marc Chagall murals,” writes John Biers in Monday’s (10/15) Agence France-Presse. “The parties, 10 in all throughout the season [are] offered at a discounted ticket price for a performance…. Other leading opera houses such as Paris and Milan … have also launched programs to draw in millennials. [For marketing purposes at the Met] Verdi’s ‘Otello’ has been dubbed ‘Fatal Attraction,’ while Donizetti’s comedy ‘La Fille du Regiment’ pays ode to the Pat Benatar’s campy classic, ‘Love is a Battlefield.’ [Gillian Brierley, assistant general manager for marketing and communications] said the marketing is intended to convey that the work will satisfy audience hunger for narrative and storytelling…. She said the Met planned to make use of a second entrance … because so many more people buy tickets at the last minute compared with the subscription-loving generations of the past. The new space will allow for post-performance drinks or group talks. Surveys show young viewers are interested in social experiences.”
Click here to read Symphony magazine’s 2016 article about orchestras marketing to millennial audiences.
Posted October 19, 2018
