OPERATION ‘OTHER’
From concerts to co-productions, Santa Fe Opera finding additional revenue streams
Dallas Opera just wrapped up a production of The Golden
Cockerel with sets, costumes and props all made by the Santa Fe Opera.
Since 2012, productions made in Santa Fe have traveled to the Metropolitan Opera in New York, plus San Francisco, Philadelphia, Seattle, Toronto, Minnesota, Spain and England. The Santa Fe Opera also is increasingly opening its stage to nonoperatic performances such as this season’s concerts by Ringo Starr and Bobby McFerrin.
These fall into the “other” category of business revenue that makes up 20 percent of the Santa Fe Opera’s $25 million operating budget. Often in the business world these days, “other” is a salvation — and has the best growth opportunity.
The opera gets 40 percent of its income from ticket sales — pretty high in the theater world, where more often than not ticket sales are closer to 30 percent. Another 40 percent comes from donations. But General Director Robert Meya acknowledged, even with record ticket revenue and donations this year, the growth potential in these traditional arenas is limited.
The “other” category shows greater promise to supplement the opera’s operating budget, Meya said.
“There are opportunities for us in the ‘other’ category,” he said. “It’s a business. We have to find ways to evolve our business model. We do need to find ways to supplement our revenue stream in order to continue to produce the great art and opera on an international level.”
Outside concerts, weddings and memorial services on the opera grounds, special dinners and corporate events such as Rolls-Royce introducing its SUV saw a 45 percent revenue increase this year over the prior year, though Meya declined to discuss dollar figures.
Dallas Opera paid Santa Fe Opera $150,000 for The Golden Cockerel production — the Texas company’s share of a co-production between the two companies or “helping them with seed money,” said David Lomeli, Dallas Opera’s director of artistic administration.
The Santa Fe Opera sold its 2006 production of Cinderella to the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, and it traveled to Barcelona, Brussels and Lille, France, before appearing on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera in 2017-18. The Santa Fe Opera collaborated directly with The Met for
La Donna del Lago, starring Joyce DiDonato in both cities.
Santa Fe Opera started co-productions with other opera companies with its 2012 Arabella, which was shared with Minnesota Opera in 2013 and the Canadian Opera Company in 2017.
Santa Fe Opera has always built wood and steel sets that are rolled on and off an elevator at the rear of the stage. The opera does not have a fly system above the stage to raise or lower backdrops, as is common in other theaters.
But in the 21st century, opera companies have become more interested in full sets like Santa Fe Opera produces, so they can be less reliant on backdrops, Meya said.
“The style of opera production has changed and become more threedimensional,” Meya said. “We are more compatible with production styles of other opera companies than was the case decades ago. There is more of an alignment than in the past.”
Former General Director Charles MacKay started the co-productions, finding willing partners to share production costs for Romeo and Juliet, Capriccio, (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, The 13th Child and other operas. He approached then-Dallas Opera General Director Keith Cerny with the idea of co-producing Golden Cockerel, a rarely performed opera but one that Cerny could play on piano. Plus, Emmanuel Villaume conducted the opera in Santa Fe in 2017 and is the music director of the Dallas Opera, and some individuals sit on the boards of both opera companies.
“It was a very successful production,” Lomeli said. “Santa Fe has very high standards of set production.”
Co-productions became easier with Santa Fe Opera’s 2014-16 expansion of the backstage area from 35,000 square feet to 65,000 square feet that doubled the sizes of the costume shop, dressing room area and created separate dedicated space for painting and set construction.
“We can work on two productions at once now,” Meya said.
So far, Santa Fe Opera productions have traveled as co-productions, but it’s possible the opera could create productions specifically for other opera companies without staging them in Santa Fe.
“Is it financially viable for other opera companies to come to us?” Meya pondered. “We are open to those type of operations.”
The opera probably would limit outside production to costumes and props, as manpower is available for several months a year in those areas. The set crew is pretty busy year-round on Santa Fe Opera productions, but the opera could design a set and sell the plans along with props and costumes, he said.
Often enough, even in co-productions, the other company builds its own sets from the Santa Fe plans because it can be cheaper than transporting the sets.
Dallas Opera, however, shipped the Santa Fe sets to Texas, which won plaudits from critics and audience.
“There were unanimous raves,” Lomeli said. “They went crazy. They loved it.”
Throughout the 20th century, Santa Fe was a modest regional opera company. As company founder John Crosby phased out of running the show at the turn of the century, the Santa Fe Opera in the 21st century has evolved into a major player. It has the sixth-largest budget in the U.S. behind the Met, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Los Angeles Opera and Houston Grand Opera.
Meya has watched the company evolve “incrementally” for the past eight years — first as director of external affairs and, since October 2018, as the company’s fourth general director. He also was an intern in Santa Fe in 1999, so he’s had a 20-year view of the transformation.
Rentals of the opera house to outside producers started in 1998 with a concert by pianist Van Cliburn and instantly became annual events following the opera season under Crosby successor Richard Gaddes when he was general director in the 2000s.
“Richard Gaddes opened the theater more to the community,” Meya said. “There is a real opportunity for the opera to be an asset for the community.”
The approach has resulted in 79 outside concerts across 21 years, including a record 10 this year. More concerts are possible in the shoulder season outside winter.
“It’s basically the month of September and the first week of October,” Meya said. “Spring is just barely possible in May. It’s a lot of additional work for our staff and crews. It’s really a question of being mindful of the burden on our internal staff.”