Opera Philadelphia tries something new with cheaper $11 ticket option

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Announcing a "radical shift aimed at bringing opera to more people," Opera Philadelphia this week announced it would make tickets cheaper with the goal of bringing their art to the masses.

All tickets for the upcoming 2024-25 season will be available for a minimum of $11, with guests having the option to pay more if they choose.

"Price can be a big barrier to entry at the opera, and ticket sales are a metric that too often determines how we program, how we engage, and how we market. If we are worried about making sure we sell expensive tickets, it limits the possibility of who we reach and what we make," Anthony Roth Costanzo, who recently took over as Opera Philadelphia's general director and president, said in a news release on the opera's website . "Pick Your Price invites everyone to connect with Opera Philadelphia at a price that works for them."

Opera Philadelphia's Board of Directors helped raise over $7 million in gifts and pledges since Costanzo took over on June 1, helping pay off debts and opening up the opportunity for the new pricing structure, which Costanzo acknowledged was a risk.

"I am incredibly grateful for their vote of confidence in Pick Your Price and the new vision for the future of Opera Philadelphia," Costanzo said in the release. "Innovation is born of risk, and risk inherently brings the possibility of failure, but as an industry, we can no longer afford to make only safe choices. The hardest work is still ahead of us as we pave a responsible path to reach new highs."

Board Chair Stephen Klasko, the former president of Thomas Jefferson University, "stepped up along with several other members with a major new gift," the release says.

The opera said the new pricing won't affect members and subscribers, who get first access to the best seats and the ability to keep their seats year after year (who knew the opera had season tickets just like the Phillies?)

The option for $2 tickets for low-income households or households with disabilities is still in place through the Art-Reach ACCESS Program.

Patrons who can pay more than $11 should, but the new price likely lowers the barrier to entry for those on the fence about opera.

"We encourage patrons who can pick the standard price or pay more than $11 to do so, knowing that each extra dollar they spend helps support operagoers who can't afford as much," Costanzo said.

What operas are available this season?

The season begins with Philadelphia-born Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek's The Listeners on Sept. 25, 27 and 29; Joseph Bologne's The Anonymous Lover on Jan. 31 and Feb. 2, 2025; and Mozart's Don Giovanni on April 25, April 27, May 2 and May 4 next year.

Bold change comes as opera companies struggled in COVID-19 pandemic

According to Opera America's most recent annual field report , opera companies took a step back in the COVID-19 pandemic shut down productions and in the years after 2020, with fans slow to come back. Some companies are rebounding and getting new customers, but still lagging behind audience numbers pre-COVID, per the report.

"Recent ticket sales and revenue are falling below pre-pandemic levels by just over 20%," the document said, citing a survey of members' ticket sales in the 2022-23 season.