Publicity and Its Discontents

If you're a smallish, but reasonably well-funded, opera company, why would you go to the trouble of printing a fancy eight-page, folding, color brochure for your four-opera season....and omit any mention of who the singers are? Yes, I am looking at you, Opera San José.

I mean, the question applies to any opera company, and it seems inexplicable. For one thing, the casting was included in the season announcement in March. (Although I have to say that it's weird that the title character of one of the operas has not yet been announced, and I'd bet that there are many, many lyric baritones with this particular role in their repertory.) For another, this is a company that largely features singers whose careers are centered in the Bay Area. The opera audience knows these folks, and honestly, the presence of certain singers IS enough to get me to a performance that's 50 miles away.

Another thing about this brochure is that the artwork for each of the four operas completely dominates the sections of the brochure dedicated to the opera. I'd prefer more information and less graphic design, as in, tell me who the singers are.