Brief status reports on Opera San Jose, Festival Opera and West Bay Opera
at http://www.sfcv.org/arts_revs/music_news_2_11_03.html.

Next week: Berkeley Opera...  and any other company I can find in the
neighborhood...:)

Details tomorrow on www.sfcv.org: One of the main players in the SF
Opera deficit crisis, Thomas J.  Gulick (Executive Director, Development
and Marketing), is reported to have left the company.  Pamela Rosenberg
is traveling in Germany and cannot be reached for comment about this and
other changes taking place in the administration.

Gulick is believed to have been the official chiefly responsible for
negotiating and signing the multi-million dollar contract with Landor
Associates for "rebranding" the Opera.  Even with contributions-in-kind
from Landor, the Opera invested a great deal of money a year ago (when
the existence of large deficits was known already) in "memorable and
distinctive" posters, brochures and ads aimed at "a new brand strategy
and visual identity to reinvent the way people experience San Francisco
Opera," in the words of the February, 2001, press release about engaging
Landor.

A central piece in rebranding is the word "Opera" appearing truncated,
the top and the bottom of the letters snipped off.  For a direct experience
of what may well be the most expensive logo in the history of all arts,
see http://www.landor.com/news/?action=showNews&storyid=236.

Janos Gereben/SF
www.sfcv.org
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