ARIA SERIOUS?

We touched on it earlier last month , but now it seems that the Royal Opera House will scrap plans to perform an 18-week season in Manchester if it cannot secure state funding. The planned expansion is expected to cost somewhere between $90 - $120 million dollars. You can read about it here . -- Edward

The Royal Opera House is in talks with the city of Manchester over a proposed 18-week season of performances. Not everyone is happy however. Opera North conducts a three-week season in Manchester and there is fear that the competition will cannibalize audiences and take away public funds. You can read about the hubbub here. Call me naive, but I always looked at it this way: what is good for the arts in general is good for us. Besides, nothing like a bit of healthy competition to make sure you bring your A-game to the table. -- Edward