Opera Columbus Enters Into Management Agreement with CAPA

Opera Columbus has entered into a five-year management agreement with the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA) to provide back office services including finance, accounting, marketing, advertising, publicity, graphics, IT, ticketing, human resources, and operations functions. The agreement will go into effect on May 20, 2011.

"CAPA is uniquely qualified to support Opera Columbus," said Press Southworth, Executive Director of Opera Columbus. "With their 40 plus years of performing arts experience in Columbus, as well as their new relationship with the Columbus Symphony, Opera Columbus is in good hands."

"We look forward to working with Opera Columbus to ensure opera continues to thrive in central Ohio," said Michael Petrecca, CAPA Board Chair. "Opera is a vital part of our cultural fabric and it is important to provide a full range of cultural offerings to our community."

Press Southworth will retire at the end of the 2010-11 season, and Opera Columbus Artistic Director William Boggs will leave after 30 years of service to the organization. Bill Conner, President and CEO of CAPA, will serve as volunteer Managing Director of Opera Columbus, reporting directly to its board.

"No two people have done more to sustain opera in Columbus over time than Press Southworth and Bill Boggs," stated Doug Kridler, President and CEO of The Columbus Foundation. "This new collaboration between Opera Columbus and CAPA will take their vision to the next level-a vibrant, sustainable future for the genre of opera in Columbus."

"The Opera Columbus/CAPA collaboration promises to strengthen the presence and accessibility of this art form, and in turn, strengthen the arts community as a whole," stated Marc A. Scorca, President and CEO of Opera America. "Columbus provides an important example of how the arts can navigate through the challenges of a tough economy."

CAPA also has agreements with CATCO-Phoenix, Franklin Park Conservatory, and the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. Services are personalized to fit each organization's needs, but can include marketing, publicity, ticketing, finance, human resources, IT, operations, and development.

The currently scheduled Opera Columbus/CAPA co-presentation of Gilbert & Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance will continue as scheduled at the Southern Theatre (21 E. Main St.) on Friday, June 10, at 8pm; Saturday, June 11, at 8pm; and Sunday, June 12, at 2pm. Tickets are $10-$102.50 at the Ohio Theatre Ticket Office (39 E. State St.), all Ticketmaster outlets, and www.ticketmaster.com<http://www.ticketmaster.com/>. To purchase tickets by phone, please call (614) 469-0939 or (800) 745-3000.

The 2011-12 Opera Columbus season is currently being determined and will be announced shortly.