By Jim McCarthy Jan 19, 2010 5 comments

“Exploiting” Opera is the First Step to Making People Care

In the UK, there’s a show called “Popstar to Opera Star.”  True to its name, it’s a reality show about well-known pop stars trying their hand at opera and being eliminated one at a time, “Dancing with the Stars” style.

Here in America, DWTS has not only been a popular show, but it’s also gotten people interested in dancing again.  Right here in Pasasdena, 2 or 3 dance studios for adults have opened up since DWTS became a hit.  If you were interested in getting people dancing and promoting the genre of dance, you could hardly order up a better piece of marketing support.

A popular TV show about opera could help break this stereotype, no?

A popular TV show about opera could help break this stereotype, no?

Part of the appeal of DWTS (I’m not a watcher, but many are) is that you get a sense that a regular schlub like you could do some semblance of what the skilled, elegant, polished professionals do with a modicum of effort.  You know you’ll never be one of them, but from a distance, maybe you’d look like you’d know what you were doing.

Couldn’t opera use the same thing?  Wouldn’t it be nice to have tens of millions of people humming arias they heard on TV the night before?  Isn’t this just the kind of cultural relevancy that the opera business can use and build on?

Apparently not.  Famous (well, opera famous) Welsh soprano, Rebecca Evans thinks that instead of being helpful, the show is “exploiting opera.”

Say wa?  Do tell, oh person almost no one’s ever heard of until you commented on this show:

“Being an opera star is working in an opera house where you spend six weeks in a rehearsal room planning for the production. Opera singers are like athletes – you have to have stamina.

“It takes years of hard graft and dedication to become an opera singer. The series will give the wrong impression.”


The series will give the wrong impression…hmm.  You mean, as opposed to not being on TV at all?  As opposed to no one paying attention except the already-existing hard core of fans?

This is just the problem.  A comment like this reinforces the belief in the mainstream consumer’s mind that you look down your nose at them and this kind of arrogance is what they’ll experience if they should ever venture toward opera.

Fortunately, I don’t think this is the norm in opera, and several other singers thought the show was great.

Which is good, because opera is a great form of art that can be really, really entertaining.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see “Popstar to Opera Star” come to the U.S.

And it reminds me of Terry Teachout’s advice to opera marketers.  He wants to put a sign in the office of every opera company that says, “MOST PEOPLE THINK THEY DON’T LIKE OPERA. YOU WON’T CHANGE THEIR MINDS BY TELLING THEM THEY SHOULD.”

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5 Comments

  • Kara Larson
    January 19th, 2010

    Does this remind anyone else of “The Nutcracker is Bad for Ballet like Easter is Bad for Churches”? God forbid anything should appeal to lots of people!!!

  • Jim McCarthy
    January 20th, 2010

    It really is the same thing, isn’t it?

  • John Crabtree
    January 20th, 2010

    Mmmmm, don’t think any serious “other singers” thought the show was great’ This world renowned opera critic 9 see link below ) sums it up so well. By the way I have heard of Evans, was there in Los Angeles when she won her Grammy in 2008.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/culturecritics/rupertchristiansen/7020195/Popstar-to-Operastar-makes-me-sick.html

  • Jim McCarthy
    January 20th, 2010

    Duly noted, John. In my defense, I did say “almost” no one had ever heard of her. Obviously, opera folks have heard of her, as she’s very successful in the field.

    The whole point is that if there’s a desire in the genre to see it develop relevancy beyond its current walls, it’s going to need some ways of getting to people.

    My secret fear is that the reverse is actually true: Many opera people want it to stay their own private club. In my view, that’s bad for everyone, especially, ultimately, the form of opera.

  • Ms. Vernay
    April 29th, 2010

    I live in the United States and have not as yet seen “Pop Star to Opera Star”. However, allow me to comment on the subject of ways opera can broaden its audiences beyond the hallowed walls of the standard opera houses.
    One way in which that is being accomplished here in America is through opera-in-the-schools programs. Opera companies send small troupes of singers into schools and reach our children, the next generation of arts consumers and audiences, performing either operas written expressly for kids, or standard operas such as “Hansel and Gretel”, excerpted and performed on the kids’ level. Last week and the week before, I had the privilege of portraying the Witch in several performances of the above-mentioned opera, and the children were mesmerized with the shows, and shrieked with laughter and delight throughout the performances. Yes, if opera can “turn on” and excite our CHILDREN, then it has hope of a bright future!