Home About Archives RSS Feed

Fat Lady Sings

Staff Reports

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — The final note has apparently sounded for the Berkshire Opera Company. The 26-year-old company filed for bankruptcy on Tuesday, Jan. 19.

According to the Boston Business Journal, the company filed for Chapter 7, which its says usually results in liquidation, and its assets were less than $50,000. Its liabilities are reportedly $100,000 to $500,000.

The company once had grand plans, buying the Mahaiwe back in 2000 for $435,000 as a permanent home. Its $15 million grand plans to renovate the historic theater, however, ran almost immediately into financial trouble and it sold off the theater two years later.

Things continued to go downhill from there as the state's economy faltered and the audience for classical performances declined. The company's last season was in 2008; no performances were attempted in 2009. BerkshireFineArts did a story on its economic woes early last year.

There's still hope for opera lovers; the Mahaiwe offers a number of performances simulcast live in high-definition from New York City's Metropolitan opera.

Tags: music, opera      

Support Local News

We show up at hurricanes, budget meetings, high school games, accidents, fires and community events. We show up at celebrations and tragedies and everything in between. We show up so our readers can learn about pivotal events that affect their communities and their lives.

How important is local news to you? You can support independent, unbiased journalism and help iBerkshires grow for as a little as the cost of a cup of coffee a week.

News Headlines
Dalton Zoning Board OKs Conversion of Zip's Bar into Apartments
BCC Jazz Ensemble Presents Free Concert
Red Tee Tournament To Benefit Berkshire United Way
Mother's Day: Weekend Outlook
Clark Art Hosts Special Mother's Day Program
Clark Art Screens À Propos de Nice; Douro, Faina Fluvial; and Regen/Rain
MCLA to Host Graduate Programs Info Session at BIC
Williamstown Planners OK Preliminary Habitat Plan
Beverly Gans Marks 60 Years & Counting in the Pittsfield Schools
Letter: Article 41 on Williamstown Town Meeting Warrant

 


Bill Schmick separates the bull from the bears in his weekly columns on investing and market wrap-ups.



Categories:
advertising (10)
agriculture (1)
arts (7)
automotive (5)
awards (16)
banking (41)
Beacon (1)
broadband (1)
business (52)
chamber (25)
closing (5)
development (23)
dining (5)
domestic animals (2)
energy (6)
entertainment (2)
federal (4)
finances (5)
food (5)
fundraiser (3)
green (2)
grocery (5)
hospitality/hotel (5)
housing (0)
insurance (3)
investment (6)
jobs (35)
labor (17)
laws (4)
Legislature (3)
manufacturing (9)
media (8)
medical (4)
networking (33)
new (22)
pricing (1)
projects (2)
promotion (6)
publishing (13)
radio (2)
real estate (8)
retail (29)
technology (13)
training (5)
transportation (1)
volunteer (1)
website (2)
wholesale (7)
workshops (6)
Archives:
Tags:
Great Barrington Statistics Berkshire Chamber Of Commerce Small Business Auction Merger Crane & Co. Talkberkshires Walmart Sales Tax Excelsior Nbt Bank Store Opening Breakfast Bj's North Adams Pittsfield Social Media State Berkshire Enterprises Jobs Sabic Baldwin Unemployment Expansion Statistics Winstanley Adams Wmeco Qualprint Currency Wall Street Tricks Of The Trade Unemployment Williamstown
Popular Entries:
Chamber Drive Nets Donation for Shelter
Pittsfield Jobless Rate at 7 Percent
State Added 12,700 Jobs in July
State Jobless Holds Steady at 7.6%
Excelsior Brings Greeting Card Co. To North Adams
Cranwell Voted Best For Meetings
Super Duper Wally World
Baldwin Brings Berkshire-style Talk to Florida
Chamber Sets Free Workshop on QR Codes
Funding Secured For Pittsfield BJ's Wholesale
Recent Entries:
Biz Briefs: Mr. Tire, Tax Holiday, Business Directory
Berkshire Eagle Parent Mulling Newspaper Sales
Digitial First Puts Vermont News Buildings on the Market
Berkshire Chamber, Neal Hosting Facebook for Business Workshop
Winstanley Wins Big at Annual ADDY Awards
Eggs & Issues Event Focuses on Rail Cars, Development
State Unemployement Rate Drops Slightly
New Biotech Firm Setting Up in Pittsfield
Crane Museum Opens Retail Store
License Commission Approves River Street Package Move