“The Metropolitan Opera’s percentage of box office revenue rose slightly this season, giving general manager Peter Gelb hope the company’s finances have rebounded,” writes Ronald Blum in Monday’s (5/13) Associated Press. “Gelb said the season that ended Saturday saw 69 percent of box office revenue capacity realized, up from 67 percent in each of the previous two seasons and a low of 66 percent in 2015-16. Total tickets sold during the eight-month season, which do not reflect discounting, remained steady at 75 percent. ‘To me that that’s encouraging news. It provides us with some cautious optimism,’ he said Monday. ‘If we haven’t entirely turned the corner, we’re at least moving in the right direction.’ This was the first season under music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin…. Gelb hopes the box office gets another boost next season, when the Met presents its first regular Sunday afternoon performances. There will be 16 Sunday matinees, replacing Monday nights. The Met’s Saturday afternoon performances have averaged sales of 20 percent higher than evenings, Gelb said. ‘The individual ticket sales for Sunday are outpacing three or four other days of the week already,’ he said. Gelb said the Met’s two single-week presentations of Wagner’s Ring Cycle sold out.”
Posted May 15, 2019
