YouOverThere

We've lost a film score composer whose music was often good, never bad, and certainly not ugly. Ennio Morricone is my favorite film score composer of all time.

Along the same lines as yesterday's video:

I haven't wanted to be the bearer of negativity, but I came to the conclusion 7-8 weeks ago that unless some existing drugs turn out to be effective against the SARS-CoV-2 virus there won't be a 2020-21 season at all for many performing arts groups. I agree with Helene that it will take months to manufacture, distribute, and administer the hundreds of millions of doses needed once a vaccine is developed. And 50 percent effectiveness doesn't seem like enough to allow several thousand people to be packed together for several hours. Given that quite a few organizations have cancelled performances 6-7 months in advance, I wonder whether they will be able to wait much past Labor Day before deciding on the 2021 part of their seasons. I would think that opera companies are in the most difficult position, since generally the lead roles are played by guest artists who are contracted well in advance. Symphony and chamber orchestras can probably re-start with a few weeks notice, possibly having to change programs because of cancelling contracts with guest soloists.

This isn't exactly ballet, but maybe it fits here...

Any idea how long before a production a company has to make financial commitments? I've been incredibly over-optimistic about this situation right from the beginning (to the point of leaving stuff in my office thinking that I would only be telecommuting for a few weeks), so I can't stop thinking that something might turn up that will get this virus under control.

It is not IMPOSSIBLE that a vaccine will be available by Fall, which would allow performances to start up in January, so it's understandable that no one wants to cancel the entire season right now.

The Kennedy Center has cancelled almost all performances for the remainder of 2020. The only ballet performance currently listed for the entire 2020-21 season is the Washington Ballet's Swan Lake in May of 2021.

Germany had a test developed and laboratories trained to process the results by the middle of February.

Oops, I misread the announcement. These apparently will be new performances (the Ballet Folklorico de Mexico de Amalia Hernandez is the only dance company).

Washington Performing Arts has created a series of PPV online performances (tapes of concerts they've presented in the recent past). For 2021. It appears that they aren't convinced that a 2020-21 season will take place.

If they start allowing people who test positive for antibodies to do things that the rest can't, there's a huge risk of a lot of coronavirus parties (as well as a large market in fraudulent certifications) since people lacking (proof of) antibodies will perceive themselves to be at a social and/or economic disadvantage. That could be disastrous.

I wonder what they are expecting will happen in December that will allow them to open.

The Toronto-based chamber orchestra Tafelmusik is creating a pay per view online concert series, with the first performance this evening (5/27). The wave of the future?

I tried buying tickets for a few shows in June and was not able to, so apparently June shows are cancelled even if there isn't a banner on their website. For shows involving the Pacific Symphony, the ticket page does state that the Pacific Symphony has cancelled all their June shows.

According to a New York Times article, the Mark Morris Dance Group and the (Benjamin Millepied's) L.A. Dance Project have both stated that they are not planning any performances for the remainder of 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/24/arts/reopening-dance-music-theater-virus.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur&fbclid=IwAR3VbQ21r_NKmpOZw6ZwSYADd2FA