A new documentary about contemporary American Opera
NEW AMERICAN OPERA (working title), a multi-platform national documentary with segmented videos and educational materials will:
- Broaden current audiences’ perceptions of — and deepen their relationship to — contemporary American and traditional European opera.
- Introduce new and younger audiences to contemporary American works that address and reflect the realities of today’s world.
Increasing the audiences’ connection to the work will ultimately encourage producers to program more new work on their stages and streaming platforms. This will increase ticket sales for ALL musical programming — new and traditional.
Breaking the Waves, photo by Dominic Mercier
Breaking the Waves, photo by Dominic Mercier
A new documentary about contemporary American Opera
NEW AMERICAN OPERA (working title), a multi-platform national documentary with segmented videos and educational materials will:
- Broaden current audiences’ perceptions of — and deepen their relationship to — contemporary American and traditional European opera.
- Introduce new and younger audiences to contemporary American works that address and reflect the realities of today’s world.
Increasing the audiences’ connection to the work will ultimately encourage producers to program more new work on their stages and streaming platforms. This will increase ticket sales for ALL musical programming — new and traditional.
The This is critical due to the rapidly declining subscription ticket sales and audience fatigue with repeated productions of the “Top Twenty” operatic titles. Between 2001 and 2019, attendance at major opera companies decreased by 24.4%. The COVID-19 pandemic has further decimated attendance, causing major revenue concerns with companies across the country.
Target Audiences
- Opera audiences who are dedicated to the inherited, European repertoire who haven’t been exposed to contemporary American opera and musical storytelling.
- Broadway-style musical theater fans who have avoided opera, assuming that the stories aren’t socially or politically relevant to them.
Budget Overview
The documentary has a $650,000 budget. To date, we have raised $100,000 from individual donors in Minnesota. As we expand our individual fundraising efforts to New York, Houston, and Los Angeles, we are beginning to apply to private foundations and courting corporate sponsors.
Projected Timeline & Distribution
We anticipate beginning production in 2025 with a completion date and distribution beginning in 2027.
Learn more about the documentary:
If you’re interested in supporting this exciting film about the evolution and revolution in musical storytelling, join our mailing list or click here to make your tax-deductible donation.
Learn more about the documentary:
If you’re interested in supporting this exciting film about the evolution and revolution in musical storytelling, join our mailing list or click here to make your tax-deductible donation.