OPERA PHILADELPHIA

COMPANY PROFILE

By Karyl Charna Lynn

SETTING THE SCENE

The Academy of Music, now the principle home of Opera Philadelphia

GEORGE WIDMAN

When Hallam’s London Company of Comedians staged Flora, or Hob in the Wall in 1754, Philadelphia became one of the first cities in the USA to hear opera. So it seems only fitting that Opera Philadelphia is at the forefront examining what opera might be in 21st century America, introducing a framework for the future of opera’s survival in an age addicted to binge entertainment, led by rapidly advancing technology.

AN AGE OF PLENTY

‘Our city is our stage’: Opera on the Mall is just one of a series of initiatives aimed at building new audiences in Philadelphia

DOMINIC M MERCIER

The Philadelphians’ passion for opera gave the city the oldest opera house still in continuous use in America, the Academy of Music. Designed by Gustav Rungé with private stock subscriptions paying the $500,000 price tag, the opera house was inaugurated in January 1857. Glorious opera years ensued with world and American premieres gracing the stage amidst diverse repertory, sung by the opera celebrities of the time. Hundreds of operas were performed during the 1800s and early 1900s, giving rise to the city’s numerous opera houses: Chestnut Street Theater, Walnut Street Theater, the Philadelphia Grand Opera House, Metropolitan Opera House and Academy of Music. As the 20th-century drew to a close, however, the number of performances dropped to a trickle at only one opera house, the Academy of Music.