Virginia Opera cancels all upcoming mainstage performances due to pandemic

Virginia Opera announced Wednesday that it has canceled all of its mainstage productions for the 2020-21 season because of the outlook for the coronavirus.

The decision was made after a complete staff and board review, according to a news release. Productions were set to begin across the organization’s three markets, Norfolk, Richmond and Fairfax, in February.

“Taking into consideration the serious circumstances surrounding the pandemic, we regrettably acknowledge the impossibility of producing our 2020-2021 Season,” Peggy Kriha Dye, the Opera’s new general director and CEO, said in the release. “Our dedication to following the necessary guidelines to ensure the safety of our patrons and artists overwhelms our immense desire to perform. In the coming months we will chart our path for the 2021-2022 Season and beyond while doing all we can to stay connected to the communities we serve; digitally in the schools, virtually for everyone, and in safe environments.”

Dye stepped into the role in October, taking the reins from Russell P. Allen, who led the organization for 15 years. In a September interview with The Pilot, Dye acknowledged that the ongoing pandemic presented big challenges for the opera company and that the upcoming season would prove difficult.

In an email to supporters, Artistic Director Adam Turner encouraged fans to consider making a donation to the organization.

“While we have vastly reduced operations and continue to minimize every expense so that every dollar will stretch as far as possible, your help now will allow us to work through these coming months in preparation of a brighter future and once again produce, entertain, and amaze,” he told supporters in the email.

Turner also said a donor will match all new or increased donations up to $100,000 and that another Stayin’ Alive performance program is under development.

“We now turn to providing new opportunities for much-needed work in our industry. This includes building on the success of our fall artist ‘Stayin’ Alive’ residency, with a second initiative geared towards providing more outdoor performances and digital content beginning in spring 2021,” Turner said in the news release. “We were able to reach a whole new audience this fall by taking opera out of the Opera House and to the streets, opening a door to this incredible art form for so many new faces, and we look forward to serving our communities again as soon as possible.”

Season ticket holders are being contacted and have three options to choose from: early renewal for the 2021-2022 season, conversion of the fair value of the tickets to a donation in support of the Virginia Opera or a full-value refund.

For more information, visit vaopera.org.

Amy Poulter, 757-446-2705, amy.poulter@pilotonline.com