Tragedy may be waiting in the wings.
The City Opera is facing a possible strike by singers and stage staff over cuts in wages and medical benefits demanded by the cash-strapped company.
“How much of a nothing contract will people tolerate before people say enough is enough — you deserve to go out of business,” said Alan Gordon, executive director of The American Guild of Musical Artists.
If talks with the 52 unionized singers and production staff end on a sour note, the opening night performance of Hugo Weisgall’s “Ester” on Nov. 5 would have to be canceled, Gordon said.
“We would make reasonable concessions,” Gordon said.
“But if the company is gut ting the contract, there’s no reason to make conces sions and that would cause a strike.
“You have a company that can’t survive even if everybody worked for free,” he said. “We think City Opera would have a tough time surviving in any event.
“They don’t have money, they don’t sell tickets and [their operas] cost twice as much as budgeted.”
The company didn’t perform at its Lincoln Center home during the 2008/2009 season because the State Theater, now the David H. Koch Theater, was being renovated.
Last month the opera company borrowed $6.6 million to meet payroll, according to Bloomberg News.
City Opera’s new general manager, George Steel, wants to eliminate a contractual guarantee of 26 weeks’ work and reduce medical benefits, Gordon said.
A spokesman for the opera, Pascal Nadon, said, “We regret that Mr. Gordon is continuing to issue pre-emptive public statements about New York City Opera, especially as the company moves forward with plans for a new season.”
Singers now earn about $36,000 a year.
The company also is negotiating with its orchestra, and those talks are expected to set the pattern for all of its union employees.