Unions and libs. They destroy everything they touch------New York's Met opera house on edge of precipice

New York's Met opera house on edge of precipice, says Peter Gelb | Music | The Guardian:
"Grand opera is dying along with its increasingly ancient audience, according to Peter Gelb, general manager of one of the grandest operas in the world, the Metropolitan in New York.
The renowned 3,800-seat opera house is fighting a losing battle on many fronts, and could face bankruptcy within three years, he says – and the crisis he sees in his own company could be a warning to many other opera houses.
A long-running dispute with unions, which are threatening strike action, is only one of his many problems.
Box office receipts are flatlining, and seat occupancy was down to 80% in the most recent season, while costs are soaring: the opera recently spent $169,000 (£100,000) on a spectacular poppy field set for a new production of Borodin's Prince Igor."