Metropolitan Opera

The Metropolitan Opera recently reached an agreement with its stagehands' union, one that will keep the doors open.

The brinksmanship was scary to those who love the art form, and hope to see it continue to thrive in New York City. I count myself among that company.

In a slower news season, this threatened strike, and its resolution, might have been big news. It hasn't been, simply because news from Missouri, the Ukraine-Russian border, the Middle East, etc., has all seemed so apocalyptic of late that some matters have gotten pushed into the back pages and the back burner of public consciousness.

The agreement with the unions for the musicians (separate unions for orchestra and chorus) came first:

here's a link.

That happened on August 18th, but it left the stagehands, i.e. the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, unaccounted for.

That union signed with management on Wednesday August 20th.

This means the Met's 2014-15 season will begin as scheduled, on September 22d, with a new production of The Marriage of Figaro.

Let the juicing, joicing, and rejoicing commence.

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