Houston Grand Opera's Nexus Initiative Brings New Audience to La bohème May 3

OPERA FOR A SONG

HOUSTON– Like most of Houston Grand Opera’s performances of La bohème, the May 3, 2008 matinee performance is very nearly sold out. Unlike the audience at other performances, the May 3rd matinee audience is made up of people who have three things in common: most of them have never been to the opera before, or have attended only occasionally, they are all coming to the performance thanks to Houston Grand Opera's Nexus Initiative, and they all paid $10.00 for their tickets.

With the leadership of Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, underwriting provided by a consortium of Houston corporations, including Chevron, KPMG and Nabors Industries, will make it possible for thousands of Houstonians to attend live performances by Houston Grand Opera at the Wortham Center for a price of $10.00 (plus WCOC and Theater District fees). Anthony Freud, General Director and CEO of Houston Grand Opera, observed that the primary goal of the initiative is to help as many Houstonians as possible to discover the excitement of a live performance. "In order to be accessible to the whole community, we must offer an affordable way for more people to give Houston Grand Opera a try."

The performance on May 3 is the first of a series of annual Nexus performances at which all seats are $10. In the 2008-09 season, the October 19 matinee of Pagliacci and Cavalleria rusticana is slated to be a $10 Nexus performance, and a limited number of Nexus $10 tickets will be available for most performances throughout the year. These are to be made available through HGO's Group Sales office to eligible groups attending HGO for the first time, such as students (elementary through graduate school), community, church, service and cultural organizations, and senior citizens. The Nexus initiative also underwrites selected subscription packages in the Orchestra, Grand Tier and Balcony, allowing HGO to keep subscription prices affordable for new audiences.

Karl Kurz, Chief Operating Officer for Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, said "Anadarko is proud to have been part of the Nexus Initiative since its inception. We are looking forward to participating in the first of HGO's Nexus performances on May 3 with the company's presentation of La bohème. The initiative is truly ground-breaking and provides the opportunity for thousands of Houstonians to experience the joy and magic of live performance.”

A variety of family-friendly pre-performance activities begin at 11:45 AM on May 3, and are free to ticket-holders. These include performances by HGO's touring company, Opera to Go! and by the chorus of the High School for Performing and Visual Arts, as well as costume and prop demonstrations. Members of HGO's High School Voice Studio will offer a guided tour through the acts of La bohème. During the performance, the audience will be treated to a rare glimpse behind the curtain as HGO's technical staff and stage crew change the set from the first to the second part of the opera. "We want to throw open the doors of the opera house, and invite our new audience to a special experience of opera at HGO," said Freud.