I'm not actually sure it's a dumb idea. The title of the post was more a reaction to how every time anyone writes something they think is a little bit edgy they call it "A Modest Proposal" and every time they do, I shoot myself a little.
So I was thinking on the subway...City Opera always seems to be scheming to leave the State Theater, as they should, and real estate is cheaper in Brooklyn, as it should be, and also, too (they say that in the Midwest. "Also, too." Not kidding. I lived there. You can even start a sentence with it. Most of those sentences end with "and what-not.") one of the target audiences involved in the project of opera not dying in twenty years is getting the young 'uns into it. Are you seeing where I'm going with this?
Brooklyn! It's filling up with Young People With Money! First it was Park Slope, then Fort Greene, then Red Hook (p.s. we're not counting Williamsburg-now-Bushwick because those kids would only go if they staged an ironic singspiel on the works of Devo) and really I think if you plunked down an opera company somewhere in downtown Brookers, the crowd that goes to BAM might go. And what-not.
p.s. Happy Schmutz Wednesday! It's the holiday where Maury wants to walk up to random people in the street and say, "Eh, you got some...some schmutz on your forehead!"
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6 comments:
I believe the complete term is Schmutzmittwoch. ("Das ist Schmutzmittwochszaubuer, Herr!")
Two problems:
(1) Young People With Money eventually start going to the opera, but not (as a rule) until they're Older People With Money. Opera events -- even Silja's Makropoulos or DiDonato/Christie in Handel -- don't even sell out BAM, and that's nothing like a full season.
(2) Driving in would be hell, particularly from New Jersey but really, once the stadium goes up, from anywhere.
Well, the thing is the young ones really are, I think, up in the part of Brooklyn whence it's hard to get to downtown, whereas Ft. Red Slope Hook is filing up with momsters and dadsters, who are a lot more likely to go. Still I see your point. Not on (2) though--who the hell drives? And surely New Jersey is no more opera friendly than Long Island, whence it's much easier to get to Flatbush terminal. If you're not careful, I'll just keep on saying "whence."
I don't think it's a dumb idea. The move would (a) get the NYCO out from under the Met's seriously long shadow and (b) give the NYCO some hipster appeal that the Met lacks. I for one would travel to Brooklyn for good opera. As it is now, I travel to Brooklyn for nothing.
Remember, Maury, that we are Butt Dust, and to that we shall return.
My protestant reaction to das Schmutz auf dem Kopf is, "Holy smoke, it's Ash Wednesday!"
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