A review of La Traviata is coming… It’s a gorgeous production and a must see. Unfortunately, there was an incident at Music Hall last night just as we were arriving. Here’s the statement from Chris Milligan, general director and CEO, just released:

As you may be aware, there was a police incident outside Music Hall on Thursday, June 27, just as our opening night performance of La Traviata was about to begin.

Police Chief Teresa Theetge offered a public statement that police officers had been in pursuit of a suspect accused of attacking a woman in a neighborhood west of downtown. The chase ended near Music Hall, where the armed suspect was shot by police. The suspect died at the scene.

More information is available here: https://www.wvxu.org/local-news/2024-06-27/police-kill-man-outside-music-hall-after-he-reportedly-pointed-a-gun-at-officers.

We’re grateful to the Cincinnati Police Department (CPD) for their quick response in ensuring the community’s safety. We’re also thankful that no Cincinnati Opera or Music Hall patrons or personnel were involved in the incident.

To those patrons who were unable to enter Music Hall at the beginning of the performance, we would like to offer you tickets to one of our two remaining performances of La Traviata (tonight and Sunday). If you haven’t already, please contact the Box Office at 513-241-2742.

And to those patrons who were affected by the delayed departure from Music Hall at the conclusion of the performance, we offer our sincere gratitude for your extraordinary patience and flexibility.

Please know that your safety is our top priority. We partner with the Cincinnati Arts Association (CAA), which manages Music Hall, and CPD to ensure a safe and secure environment at Music Hall. CAA has extensive security measures in place for all performances and events. This includes security officers stationed around the building’s perimeter, metal detectors at all entrances, bag checks, and emergency training for all building personnel.

Thank you for being part of the Cincinnati Opera family. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact us at info@cincinnatiopera.org.