LA Opera Accessible to Everyone???

I remember it like yesterday... my very first visit to the LA Opera. It was middle school, so I must have been 14 yrs. old or so at the time. It was a class field trip organized by my English teacher, Ms. Bolibaugh (yes, I know, it sounds French. She was.) I had always been open to classical music and I've always had thespian inclinations, but for me to request to be taken to the Opera... Never! I was a cool kid and that couldn't possibly be good for my image. Anyway I had no choice, either I missed school that day (not an option. My parents wouldn't let me) or I got on that school bus and faced my fate. It was La Boheme. As I sat and watched what was unfolding in front of me I felt something change inside of me. First of all, for the record, I was touched by Mimi's tragic end and Rodolfo's desperation to save her. Secondly, The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and everyone in it just seemed so beautiful and elegant. I've been fortunate enough to revisit The LA Opera. I usually see 1-2 productions a season and if I'm feeling particularly wealthy I may do a 3rd (Disclaimer: I'm able to do this because my parents pay my rent. Were it not for that fact, I wouldn't be able to afford it). I'm part of their mailing list and like any smart business, they make use of their ability to reach me via e-mail, and unfortunately via cell phone during their yearly subscription drive (pesky bastards!). A few months ago I got a particularly interesting e-mail. They were reaching out to people that had visited The LA Opera recently and were asking them to take part in a marketing research survey. This was right up my alley and immediately volunteered, plus I was entered in raffle for a chance to meet Placido Domingo (Didn't win). The survey was around my prior visits and how could they improve my experience. Apparently I wasn't the only one that asked them to lower ticket prices because according to the e-mail pictured above they've listened and have an initiative to make it more affordable for Angelenos to go to the opera. The e-mail emphasizes The Domingo Family Program because, like the tobacco companies, they want to hook your children while they're young (not exactly comparing apples to apples but you get my drift). Oh, and the use of the word Domingo is no mistake... The LA Opera has another initiative to attract more Hispanic patrons (full disclosure: I'm a member of Hispanics for LA Opera). It's a clever play on words since Domingo means Sunday in Spanish but it can also refer to the almighty and Spanish tenor Placido Domingo. The LA Opera is really leveraging him to attract this market segment. As for the new logo (please look at the e-mail's letter head), I haven't exactly warmed up to it yet but I do see the purpose of the added yellow sunburst. It does make me think of the pavilion's interior. I'm more fond of the simple logo used in the 2010/2011 season. In my opinion The LA Opera has a strong and effective online presence. They are consistent with their marketing material (direct mail and online) and keep those in their mailing list up to date with what's happening. Oh! And by the way.... La Boheme holds a special place in my heart and I WILL be seeing this year's production.

Silicon Valley v. Hollywood (SOPA)

In case you were living under a rock last week, crowd sourced sites such as Wikipedia and search engine giant Google vocalized their opposition to the proposed Stop Online Piracy Act better know by its acronym SOPA. It is a bill currently being considered by our elected officials that would target sites that traffic intellectual property and knock off goods. Critics say that the language in the bill is too vague and can sweep up unsuspecting internet sites and users. It requires that search engines stop linking to sites that are in violation of copyright laws and imposes fines and/or jail time for streaming copyrighted content. As an advertiser, if you are associated with such a site, you too can be dragged into a law suit. While getting appropriate compensation for producing work is a fair thing to ask, imposing rules such as the ones SOPA describes can be counter productive in the sharing of ideas and free speech on the internet. My fear is that SOPA can ultimately be misconstrued and be used a s a tool for censorship. There is also another interesting aspect of all this. Hollywood has been lobbying law makers to pass SOPA while Silicon Valley has taken to the masses to oppose it. It is interesting to see how all this is going to play out since both factions are strong financial supporters of the democratic party. Make no mistake my friends, it is no coincidence that this bill surfaced in an election year. Keep your eyes and ears open.