Cincinnati Opera returned to its Music Hall stage this summer after a two-year hiatus due to Covid. I’m sure there was trepidation in the company about whether the audience would return, just as new variants were emerging. Happily, audiences came. In fact, the total attendance for three grand operas in Music Hall and two new operas in a smaller venue at SCPA was higher than that of the 2019 season before the pandemic hit.
“We count our ‘return to Music Hall’ season a great success,” said general director and CEO Chris Milligan.
- The company saw extraordinary national media coverage with reviews in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal and a story on NPR’s All Things Considered. Here’s a column about the international buzz surrounding this production.
- Attendance exceeded that of the 2019 Summer Festival at 20,747, compared to 19,736 pre-pandemic.
- The company met its revised revenue goal with $1.65 million in ticket sales.
- Attendees from 42 states came to see performances.
- There were zero canceled performances thanks to Covid-safety protocol.
