The Curtain Won't Go Up.

The arts are in financial trouble everywhere. Given the economic crisis all around, governments have cut funding for the arts and  private donations are also hard to come by. When people are unemployed or trying to prevent defaulting on their mortgage payments, entertainment and leisure activities are not a priority; thus, ticket sales for concerts and the theater go down. Cultural events of a certain caliber are not cheap to produce and, therefore, they are expensive to go to.

All this comes to mind, as I read that the Philadelphia Orchestra, as prestigious a musical ensemble as they come, has filed for bankruptcy, with $13 million in debt. Although there are estimates that it could round up about $8 million from fund-raising efforts, they would still be out $5 million, which is nothing to sneeze at. So, they have chosen to reorganize under bankruptcy law, in order to continue operating.

We all have to learn to live with less of everything, and be modest in our expectations, in order to survive. And that includes artists and musicians. Otherwise, the public will stay away from concert halls and theaters, in ever-increasing numbers.

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