Government says: Vienna won’t go to the ball
NewsVienna State Opera was today ordered to cancel its opera ball, the tabloid highlight of the Austrian year.
Director Bogdan Roscic said: ‘We have done all we can to ensure the Opera Ball could take place. But the whole situation at the moment just doesn’t offer the necessary conditions. The ball now takes months of preparation, with partners and suppliers. These deadlines could no longer be met. The uncertainty caused by Omikron was also added, the uncertainty among attenders was greater every day. I am therefore very happy about the clear decision made today. We will now plan a replacement program for the week concerned and otherwise continue to work on our ideas for the Opera Ball 2023 together with our committee.’
It would be most unfortunate if half of a generation of débutantes were to be wiped out in a single season.
It’s starting to seem like performing arts organizations need to consider changing their season, moving more concerts to the summer when transmission rates tend to be lower, and some concerts could be performed outdoors.
You brought up sensible alternatives, so of course you received a bunch of ‘thumbs down’. That was predictable.
Why not hire Allegra Stratton to rebrand it as a business meeting with cheese and wine?