Opera Pacific closes down, likely for good Orange County's only major opera company is a victim of the economic downturn. By TIMOTHY MANGAN The Orange County Register Three days after its final performance of Rossini's "The Barber of Seville," Santa Ana-based Opera Pacific, the county's only major opera company, announced Tuesday that it will cancel the remainder of its 2008-2009 season and will likely close down operations for good. The economic downturn is to blame, according to Robert C. Jones, president and CEO of the company. "All I can say is that at this moment there are no plans for next season," Jones said, shortly before leaving the office on his last day on the job. Jones said that the company has laid off all except a skeletal staff, which will handle necessary communications. Opera Pacific still has a board of directors, but artistic director and conductor John DeMain has been laid off along with Jones. Opera Pacific was to present the West Coast premiere of Ricky Ian Gordon's "The Grapes of Wrath" in January, and Richard Strauss' "Salome," with Orange County native Deborah Voigt in the title role, in March. The company presented 22 seasons of opera at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. In addition, Opera Pacific has put its Santa Ana headquarters, a large warehouse structure, up for sale. The building, almost 20,000 square feet of office, rehearsal, shop and storage space, was up for sale in an attempt to generate cash flow for the company. But the building hasn't sold yet. The sale would likely cover the company's remaining debts, and then some, Jones said. ... Janos Gereben www.sfcv.org [log in to unmask] *********************************************** The CLASSICAL mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's HDMail High Deliverability Mailer for reliable, lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to: http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html