La Scala (and other non-UK theatres/companies) closed due to coronavirus

[KyleCheng]

1 hour ago, LinMM said:

Reducing numbers seems pointless really. If there are 900 there that's enough if the virus was to become much more rampant.

Either keep them open or close them when it's required. 

You could have 1800 people in the audience and not one has the virus or 900 and two people have it!!! 

 

From what I've read about the measures taken by some venues, reducing the size of audience, which is usually coupled with an elaborate rearrangement of the seats, is to increase the distances between audience members. Say if one cut the audience size in half, it would allow every two people to be separated by one empty seat. This is supposed to decrease rate of transmission by preventing close interpersonal contact. 

I can only imagine how complicated and nightmarish a task that must be for the venues who've decided to do so, though. 

[Sim]

1 hour ago, Don Q Fan said:

Teatro de'll Opera Roma has cancelled several ballet and operas and I believe other Italian theatres are also reducing audience numbers to within prescribed limits.  Zurich Opera Theatre has reduced audience to 900 persons.   All seems sensible to me  Just hope I get to see Nutcracker in Zurich in 2 weeks time.

I wonder how they choose who the lucky 900 are, assuming all the tickets are already sold?

[now voyager]

Theatre closures now extend to North America.  The War Memorial Auditorium, where San Francisco Ballet performs, has been closed as of today through March 20 by order of the Mayor of San Francisco, cutting very short (I.e., to exactly ONE performance—last night’s) SFB’s run of Balanchine’s Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Edited March 7, 2020 by now voyager

[Don Q Fan]

When asked ROH advised me they will contact patrons as and when events are curtailed in the UK - meantime they are liaising with PHE.

[toursenlair]

Paris Opera is now closed. They have cancelled performances the day before yesterday, yesterday and today and will make an  announcement tomorrow concerning what is going to happen with upcoming performances.

[Naomi M]

Also the Vienna State Opera is closed and performances canceled as they forbid any assemblies with more than 100 participants. 

https://orf.at/stories/3157262/

https://www.wiener-staatsoper.at/die-staatsoper/aktuelles/detail/news/coronavirus-sars-cov-2/

[Oberon]

Today State Opera and State Ballet in Munich canceled all performances from March 11th to April 19th. Obviously, the 'Portrait Wayne McGregor' tonight will be a kind of farewell performance for the next few weeks...

https://www.staatsoper.de/en/staatsballett.html

Edited March 10, 2020 by Oberon

[alison]

Wow, over a month already.

[alison]

I don't know whether theatres and/or companies will have any insurance protection for this sort of thing.  Theatres, possibly, I suppose, but I'm not sure about companies - and some of them may need the box office receipts to survive.  Not good.

[bridiem]

7 minutes ago, alison said:

I don't know whether theatres and/or companies will have any insurance protection for this sort of thing.  Theatres, possibly, I suppose, but I'm not sure about companies - and some of them may need the box office receipts to survive.  Not good.

 

And what about sponsors who donate towards particular programmes/performances/roles that don't then materialise? And associated income the theatres/companies would have budgeted for whilst performing? All very difficult.

 

 

[annamicro]

I think that Italian experience (and maybe mistakes) should be treasured.

I am surprised by the reports from UK. Not by the numbers, but by the way the positive patients are spread all around the Country: this is a respiratory virus, it travels from person to person. All the other countries have one or two points of origin and then a diffusion. The increase is exponential.

I hope the results are real and reflects the actual diffusion of the virus in UK, but honestly I feel safer at home here in Milan than in theatre in any part of Europe.

I hope my fear is unjustified, but stay safe, friends 🙂

[Sim]

From a purely selfish point of view, I so hope they don't close the UK theatres, especially with Swan Lakes being run.  I don't mind at all if the ROH were to close during the Live Fire Exercise triple...but that is probably too late!! 

[Jan McNulty]

1 hour ago, annamicro said:

I think that Italian experience (and maybe mistakes) should be treasured.

I am surprised by the reports from UK. Not by the numbers, but by the way the positive patients are spread all around the Country: this is a respiratory virus, it travels from person to person. All the other countries have one or two points of origin and then a diffusion. The increase is exponential.

I hope the results are real and reflects the actual diffusion of the virus in UK, but honestly I feel safer at home here in Milan than in theatre in any part of Europe.

I hope my fear is unjustified, but stay safe, friends 🙂

 

You too Anna.

[Fiz]

Stay safe, all of the Ballet Co forum family. 

[Lizbie1]

1 hour ago, Sim said:

From a purely selfish point of view, I so hope they don't close the UK theatres, especially with Swan Lakes being run.  I don't mind at all if the ROH were to close during the Live Fire Exercise triple...but that is probably too late!! 

 

Here's what I'd like to see: a communication from ROH and other theatres saying to stay away if you have any symptoms or are yourself vulnerable, accompanied by an offer to refund or exchange tickets; and hand sanitiser stations at strategic points.

 

[onemouseplace]

4 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said:

 

Here's what I'd like to see: a communication from ROH and other theatres saying to stay away if you have any symptoms or are yourself vulnerable, accompanied by an offer to refund or exchange tickets; and hand sanitiser stations at strategic points.

 

 

Agreed.  The only measures I saw on Friday night were the cloakroom staff were wearing disposable gloves and there was a notice on the swing door on the way out of the Ladies about washing hands.  But no soap in the loo I was in (one of the ones with the sink inside the cubicle).

[Mary]

I thought it was absurd to have that notice  about hand washing on the back of the OUT door - it needs to be by the sinks.

I might even email them.

 

[Lizbie1]

1 minute ago, onemouseplace said:

But no soap in the loo I was in (one of the ones with the sink inside the cubicle).

 

Without wishing to derail this conversation, I don't know how related it is to Open Up but I don't find the ROH loos at all well looked after. (And I'm not particularly fussy!)

 

One other thing that might help in a small way, now that the weather is improving, would be to have the main doors kept open so that people don't have to grab handles or press buttons.

[bangorballetboy]

14 minutes ago, Lizbie1 said:

 

 hand sanitiser stations at strategic points.

 

 

Wigmore Hall has added extra hand sanitiser points!

[Angela]

Theatres in Berlin are shut down until April 19th.

[capybara]

I have been to many public places in the past week and only one has had an automatic hand sanitiser which dispenses just the right amount of gel into one's palms without any need to press or pull anything. Brilliant and just what's needed at all times, not just now.

[Shade]

1 hour ago, Lizbie1 said:

 

Here's what I'd like to see: a communication from ROH and other theatres saying to stay away if you have any symptoms or are yourself vulnerable, accompanied by an offer to refund or exchange tickets; and hand sanitiser stations at strategic points.

 

They would be very sensible steps.

whatever the situation re performances stay safe all.

[LinMM]

Luckily have no tickets for ballet until

April though there’s no guarantee theatres won’t be closed by the time we get to that week😩

its very difficult to know what to do when deciding whether to go up to London or not on weekly course ....as it’s not absolutely essential 

At the moment there are only 91 confirmed cases in London so a very low number and so will probably go up tomorrow but if numbers increase dramatically in the next week may have to review the situation. 
Last week at the ROH I was sitting in the Balcony next to a young couple speaking Italian! 
As it happens they did not come back after the Interval for some reason but will admit to feeling a little relieved. 

 

[Richard LH]

14 minutes ago, LinMM said:

Last week at the ROH I was sitting in the Balcony next to a young couple speaking Italian! 

At present, only about 1 in 6000 Italians have been diagnosed with this  virus! 

[Anon2]

2 hours ago, capybara said:

I have been to many public places in the past week and only one has had an automatic hand sanitiser which dispenses just the right amount of gel into one's palms without any need to press or pull anything. Brilliant and just what's needed at all times, not just now.

Businesses, universities, schools are having the same problems as the general public purchasing hand sanitiser. Those that do have supplies have the added problem of dispensers being stolen, even if fixed to the wall. 
The one you mention sounds very similar to the ones we have at my work place, really good except use 4 x D batteries per unit so keeping them in action is proving a challenge as power heavy. 

[LinMM]

Well I know the numbers are lowish but with all the hype it just made me wonder.....tourists from Lombardy..  unlikely but.... 

And look at Italy today in spite of these low numbers. The whole country in lockdown does seem a bit extreme but I think it’s more to protect their Health Service as it’s coping now than that they are worried thousands more will actually get it. 

[Dawnstar]

1 hour ago, LinMM said:

Luckily have no tickets for ballet until

April though there’s no guarantee theatres won’t be closed by the time we get to that week😩

its very difficult to know what to do when deciding whether to go up to London or not on weekly course ....as it’s not absolutely essential 

At the moment there are only 91 confirmed cases in London so a very low number and so will probably go up tomorrow but if numbers increase dramatically in the next week may have to review the situation.

 

I'm hoping I'll get to see Traviata on Saturday, especially as one of my favourite mezzos is making her ROH debut, but I'm not holding out much hope that I'll get to see what was supposed to be my first live Swan Lake (yes, I am very belated!) on 28th, let alone my April-May bookings. It's also difficult to know what to do about future bookings. Tomorrow not only does ROH summer season Friends booking opens but also Opera Holland Park's Inspire ticket booking. Between the two there are seven performances I wanted to book for June-August but goodness knows what state the country & the theatres will be in by then.

[Jan McNulty]

Did countries have similar measures in place when the SARS virus was doing the rounds?

 

I don't want in any way to sound flippant but this virus seems to be much less deadly overall than SARS and I don't remember everyone being so panic stricken by that.

[Jan McNulty]

2 minutes ago, Dawnstar said:

 

I'm hoping I'll get to see Traviata on Saturday, especially as one of my favourite mezzos is making her ROH debut, but I'm not holding out much hope that I'll get to see what was supposed to be my first live Swan Lake (yes, I am very belated!) on 28th, let alone my April-May bookings. It's also difficult to know what to do about future bookings. Tomorrow not only does ROH summer season Friends booking opens but also Opera Holland Park's Inspire ticket booking. Between the two there are seven performances I wanted to book for June-August but goodness knows what state the country & the theatres will be in by then.

 

Hopefully we will be back to normality by then.

[LinMM]

I think because SARS was much less infectious than this current virus is so wasnt quite such a strain on the health service but the death rate seemed higher from SARS ..as it currently stands that is. 
Im worried they are going to start putting a curfew on us older members!  Especially those over 70 .... Was just wondering with a touch of makeup what age I could pass for 🙄 
 

[Rob S]

On 07/03/2020 at 20:10, LinMM said:

Reducing numbers seems pointless really. If there are 900 there that's enough if the virus was to become much more rampant.

Either keep them open or close them when it's required. 

You could have 1800 people in the audience and not one has the virus or 900 and two people have it!!! 

 

Maybe the RB should put on Frankenstein to reduce numbers naturally

[Anon2]

There were less than 9000 recorded SARS cases worldwide during the outbreak and approx 10% of those died. Covid-19 is well beyond that number and although a lower death rate the higher number of infected people means there are more sick people requiring intensive medical intervention and deaths. 

[Jan McNulty]

4 minutes ago, Jane said:

There were less than 9000 recorded SARS cases worldwide during the outbreak and approx 10% of those died. Covid-19 is well beyond that number and although a lower death rate the higher number of infected people means there are more sick people requiring intensive medical intervention and deaths. 

 

Thank you Jane.