Reviving Old Productions

The 1973/74 and 1974/75 Seasons

“Though much has been achieved, there is an even greater future possible if the means are available.” (National Arts Centre 1974, 12)

Beginnings of Finanal Woes with Opera

The 1973-74 annual report explains that while the NAC had a successful year overall, they were disappointed with the July 1973 Festival. The Festival featured many different productions, including were Mozart's Don Giovanni and Così fan tutte, as well as Offenbach's La Belle Hélène. The Centre ran a deficit, for which the lack of revenue generated by the Festival’s ballet and smaller-scale productions took much of the blame. The cost of the festival had increased to $979,831, however once again the box office did not match that increase, making a grand total of $123,158.60.

Despite the general disappointment of the 1973 Festival, there seemed to be optimism for the future of opera at the NAC; it drew an average of 74 percent attendance at that summer's Festival (Don Giovanni reached an audience attendance of 87 percent), and it was decided that the NAC would shift its focus towards “…[reinforcing its] greatest strength, the opera…’’ (National Arts Centre 1974, 11). This report includes a section titled “The case for opera”, which highlights the Centre’s opera-applicable assets (such as a fantastic orchestra and hall) as well as some ideas for the future.

“We have proceeded carefully and successfully in the past three years but no-one should think that this is all we can do.” (National Arts Centre, 1974, 12)

By the 1974-1975 season, opera had become a staple at the NAC. The Canadian Opera Company regularly staged productions, and would perform at the NAC after its annual Toronto season. That year, the COC performed Gounod's Faust and Wagner's The Flying Dutchman.

As for the Festival, the NAC had established a tradition of producing two new operas, in addition to one revival, each year; the operas they chose for the July 1974 Festival were Mozart's Abduction from the Seraglio, Rossini's Le Comte Ory, and Mozart's Don Giovanni. The annual reports show that audience attendance dropped to 61.7 percent from the previous year's 74 percent. That year, the NAC spent $725,862 on the Festival and made $145,443.06 (National Arts Centre 1975, 33-35).