The Master Class

COMMANDOpera feels behooved to categorically pronounce on a vexing matter prerogative which concerns both theatres and artists. The question which must be updated and resolved, regards the critical notion of who announces first.

Only a few weeks ago, COMMANDOpera was speaking with a regional American theatre which mounts five productions annually. During conversation, the individual at the theatre animatedly advised that since a particular artist had already gone public regarding their participation in an unannounced production, the theatre had better put together a release immediately. COMMANDOpera guards the traditions of the art form most aggressively, and was rather put out upon hearing this subservient perspective from the theatre (this venue has on more than a few occasions admonished managements for permitting artists such trespass on this understood, historic etiquette). The history of theatres around the globe announcing their seasons each year on an appointed day in a blaze of publicity, is far too long to attempt consideration. Global readers who have long followed COMMANDOpera will clearly recall the fervent public battles with gossip oriented social media venues who have betrayed theatres by leaking seasons in advance. Imagine then if you will, what goes on in private when COMMANDOpera picks up the phone: words are not minced.

Yet upon contemplation of the matter over the intervening days, COMMANDOpera has wrestled with the wisdom of continuing with this tradition in its current state. When the fortunes of theatres are dwindling to all time historic lows, all matters are on the table including the notion of historic courtesies. The art form requires every word of publicity it can manage in today’s extremely crowded Internet environment where more consumer friendly entertainments enjoy the lions share of space. The necessary argument in favour of an artists early announcement runs concurrent with an intelligent approach to marketing strategies utilizing the Internet. As a parallel, take the use of meta tags which are inserted into the back end of a correctly built website. Meta tags are key words which search engines such as Google recognise first in narrowing pre eminence in results. Ergo, the more tags which are incorporated, translates into first view prominence. It logically follows then that the more often a theatre is mentioned through any web based source, the more legs this theatre owns and therefore knows improved prominence.

If one is to considers the above argument, there remains no other option than to revise this courtesy. An artist goes live in the ‘Engagement’ section of their website in advance with future performances to advise their constituents of where they will appear next (and to show other interested theatres of their rising public stature). The spin off fortune to theatres cannot be ignored, and is in fact a blessing when one considers the proposition of seats being reserved in advance when the name of the artist is known on the unannounced ticket. Not to mention the invaluable extra period of time each production will have to develop ‘legs’. These rationales prove more than sufficient to offset the realignment of the old courtesy, for everyone will always look forward a theatres season announcement (if only now to additionally confirm various constituents interests).

COMMANDOpera is aware of how very slowly Opera reacts to change, however this is a tradition which this venue will no longer support. Noting COMMANDOpera is a must read by all ranking houses globally, it is to be predicted that the argument written here on this tradition will now be digested over the next few years. One recognises all theatres protect prerogatives, yet are wise enough nowadays to more easily move forward with the times, thanks in no small part to having to work through the ramifications of the Internet. It is to be understood, that while this tradition is to be relaxed where artists engagement announcements are concerned, woe be to those media venues who continue to leak any theatres season in advance.