The Metropolitan Opera Sets New Record For First-Day Ticket Sales

The Metropolitan Opera in New York City truly has something to sing about! The Met set a record in ticket sales on Sunday, August 16, the first day of individual box office sales for the upcoming 2009-2010 season. The Met sold $2.5 million worth of tickets at its box office, telephone call center and through the Web site. The first-day sales for the new season was up sharply from the previous record of nearly $2.1 million that was set in 2007.
The record setting amount of tickets sold for the upcoming season is a surprise to the Met’s management considering the bad economy. However, they have been committed to maintaining the Met’s artistic excellence throughout, drawing new audience members and delivering a distraction from the economic climate.
The Met’s 2009-2010 season opens with the gala premiere of a new production of Puccini’s “Tosca” on September 21, conducted by James Levine. The season features eight new productions, four of which are company premieres. Season premieres include Rossini’s “Armida,” Verdi’s “Attila,” Shostakovich’s “The Nose,” and Janáček’s “From the House of the Dead.” New productions include Bizet’s “Carmen,” Offenbach’s “Les Contes d’Hoffmann,” Thomas’s “Hamlet,” and Puccini’s “Tosca.” There are also 18 revivals from the company’s repertory that will be in the season lineup.