Indianapolis Opera, in a statement Tuesday evening, announced the cancellation of "Albert Herring," citing financial strain. The opera was the final show of the 2013-14 season.
Charles Stanton, a former opera vocalist and workshop facilitator at the National Association of Teachers of Singing, made note of the opera's financial issues while he served as vice president of the Arts Council of Indianapolis. Among his concerns were what he considered poor artistic decisions by the organization and a lack of innovation.
"I look at the opera and I think, 'Gosh, you guys are operating on this antiquated business model that says opera has to be expensive,'" said Stanton, the CEO of Classical Music Indy. "It doesn't. There are companies nationwide that have figured out how to operate on a lean budget, but with high-quality productions."
