Chicago Opera Theater has promoted Ashley Magnus to General Director.

She joins music director Lidiya Yankovskaya and board president Susan Irion in an all-woman regime, possibly a first in the opera world.

Magnus, formerly the COT’s chief fundraiser, succeeds outgoing general director Douglas Clayton.

With all those empty seats, you wonder why it took Peter Gelb so long to follow America’s best orchestras in inviting government workers to spend their enforced downtime in cultural activities.

Public workers are entitled to two tickets each for all performances from January 19 to 31, exclusding Carmen on January 26 which is a live cinema broadcast.

For instance.