Industry Pro Newsletter: Leadership Changes in Opera Large and Small
New leadership at OPERA America, Budget Cuts in Chicago, and Impact Measurements in DC
By: Alex Freeman Nov. 10, 2025
This week’s roundup highlights major leadership changes, funding shifts, and renewed investment in the performing arts. OPERA America has named Michael J. Bobbitt as its next President & CEO, while Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS announced $1.5 million in emergency food grants nationwide. In New York, The Joyce Theater Foundation received a landmark $15 million gift, and Broadway productions prepare to take the stage at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Regionally, Chicago’s cultural department faces a proposed budget reduction, Theatre Washington released a new industry impact report, and Houston Grand Opera appointed James Gaffigan as its next Music Director. Meanwhile, in the UK, opera and arts education take center stage with efforts to broaden access and strengthen creative learning.
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Senior Vice President TMC Arts - The Music Center
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Industry Trends
A Few Days Left to Vote in Round One of BroadwayWorld’s Next on Stage
The competition for Next On Stage Season 6, presented by AMDA College of The Performing Arts & Atlantic Acting School and sponsored by MTI (New Musical Theater Institute) & 54 Below is currently open for voting. Voting ends at 11:59 p.m. ET on November 12. The live season finale will be held at 54 Below in NYC, where the Top 3 finalists will perform and receive flights/hotel and Broadway show tickets.
OPERA America Reveals New President/CEO
OPERA America announced that Michael J. Bobbitt has been appointed President & CEO, effective January 1, 2026, on a five-year contract. He succeeds Marc A. Scorca, who will step down after a 35-year tenure and will remain involved as President Emeritus. Bobbitt was selected following a year-long national search led by Board Chair Lee Anne Myslewski and Past Chair Timothy O’Leary. He joins OPERA America from the Mass Cultural Council where he served as Executive Director, and brings experience as an artist, producer, and administrator with a background in multidisciplinary arts and public policy. Scorca will support the transition and contribute to an oral-history project.
Broadway Cares Responds To SNAP Uncertainty With $1.5 Million In Emergency Food Grants
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS announced $1.5 million in emergency grants to support 148 food-service organizations across the U.S., in response to the federal government’s uncertainty around the November 2025 Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. The grants represent an additional 50% on top of these groups’ annual support, which totaled $2.9 million earlier this year. The grants aim to provide warm, nutritious meals for individuals and families across all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. In addition, $100,000 was allocated to relief efforts in the Caribbean—specifically to World Central Kitchen and World Food Program USA—after the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa. Executive Director Danny Whitman and Board President Robert E. Wankel emphasized the theatre community’s ongoing commitment to crisis relief.
Broadway/New York
RAGTIME, BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB, & More Will Perform at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
The 99th edition of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is scheduled for November 27 at 8:30 a.m. (all time zones) on NBC and Peacock. Ragtime, Buena Vista Social Club and Just in Time will have performance segments in the broadcast. The broadcast will include 32 balloons, 3 “ballonicles,” 27 floats, 33 clown groups and 11 marching bands. Hosts for the event will be Savannah Guthrie, Hoda Kotb and Al Roker, with an encore telecast at 2 p.m. ET/PT.
The Joyce Theater Foundation Receives $15 Million Gift From Rajika Puri and Anupam ‘Tino’ Puri
The Joyce Theater Foundation received a $15 million gift from dance-artist/scholar Rajika Puri and her late husband Anupam “Tino” Puri. The gift is described as one of the largest in the theatre’s history and will support the foundation’s operations, infrastructure and mission. In recognition, the auditorium will be named the Tino & Rajika Puri Auditorium and a private dedication ceremony is slated for this fall. The Puris have supported the organization since 1992 and emphasized dance as a vital cultural expression.
Regional
Under Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), Chicago’s cultural affairs budget is proposed at just over $62 million for the next year — a decrease of about 15 % from nearly $73 million in the prior year. Kenya Merritt is serving as acting commissioner following the surprise resignation of Clinée Hedspeth, whose tenure was marked by staff turnover and allegations of bullying. The funding drop is driven in part by a more than 30 % decline in forecasted grants, as the special-events/hotel tax revenue remained stable but COVID-relief funds faded. Merritt emphasized a “new chapter focused on collaboration and accountability” and reiterated the department’s commitment to year-round programming despite the challenges.
DC Theater Arts: DC-Area theater impact report published by Theatre Washington
Theatre Washington published a report examining the economic impact of the Washington, D.C.-area theater industry by analyzing IRS Form 990 data for 89 organizations. The findings show local theater organizations pay nearly $70 million annually to artists and staff and steward over $1 billion in combined assets. The report highlights that the industry also creates thousands of jobs and volunteers and has tangible influence in workforce development and real estate. It was first presented at an arts-advocacy workshop on October 8 and underscores the theater sector’s operational and financial significance in the region.
Houston Grand Opera names James Gaffigan as next Music Director
Houston Grand Opera (HGO) announced that James Gaffigan will become its fifth Music Director in its 70-year history. He will serve as Music Director Designate in the 2026-27 season and fully assume the role in 2027-28 under a five-year contract. Gaffigan, a graduate of Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, made his American opera debut with HGO in 2011 and currently holds a leadership role in Europe. HGO’s General Director and CEO Khori Dastoor described the appointment as a partnership prioritizing new American repertoire, artist development, and accessibility for diverse audiences.
International
The Times: Opera isn’t just for posh people — and this is how we can save it
Thangam Debbonaire, newly appointed chief executive of the UK Opera Association (UKOA), is pushing to reshape opera’s image and financial stability in the UK. She argues the belief that opera is “only for posh people” has taken hold among decision-makers and aims to counter that perception. Debbonaire highlights challenges such as post-Brexit touring restrictions, funding cuts, and the relocation of the English National Opera as evidence of the sector’s vulnerability. She plans to unify the sector around education, digital accessibility and corporate sponsorship—particularly by engaging tech companies and regional organisations.
Leaders in the arts sector applauded the UK government’s decision to reform the national curriculum, including scrapping the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) and prioritising creative subjects like music, art, dance and drama. They noted that since 2010 GCSE enrollments in arts subjects declined by roughly 40% and arts teacher numbers fell by about 23%. Prominent voices such as Andrew Lloyd Webber, Antony Gormley and Anish Kapoor praised the announcement while cautioning that issues such as funding, teacher shortages and equal access still need addressing. The reform aims to ensure creative subjects are treated as disciplines in their own right rather than optional extras, and emphasises guaranteeing all children meaningful access regardless of background.
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Broadway enthusiasts got into the Halloween spirit with show-inspired costumes, while BroadwayWorld expanded its reach with new WhatsApp Channels for international readers. Onstage and behind the scenes, the American Theatre Wing named the jury for the 70th Obie Awards, and Actors’ Equity ratified a new contract with The Broadway League, marking an important step for performer benefits and producer relations. Regionally, Center Theatre Group unveiled its 2025/26 LA Writers’ Workshop and Artist Residencies, and Albuquerque Little Theatre welcomed a new executive director. Internationally, the fallout from Arts Council England’s portal crash continues to leave arts groups in uncertainty—underscoring the ongoing challenges of supporting creativity worldwide.
October 27, 2025 - We’re Getting New Deals on Broadway, and TodayTix is Acquired by MARI
On Broadway, both actors and musicians move closer to new contracts, with tentative deals heading to their respective unions for ratification. Beyond New York, the spotlight turns to growth and innovation — from Shakespeare & Company’s upcoming intensive for mid-career professionals in the Berkshires to The Shubert Organization’s landmark partnership in London. Meanwhile, TodayTix joins Ari Emanuel’s expanding live-events empire, and BroadwayWorld’s own Next On Stage competition returns for its sixth season, celebrating the next generation of musical theatre talent.
The week begins with the news that the Broadway League and AEA completed a marathon negotiation session that has resulted in a tentative agreement - meaning that one side of the potential strike equation is solved pending ratification. Negotiations with Local 802 are still ongoing. We also have a piece that looks at the compensation differences for performers for shows that originate on Broadway and those that stop on Broadway as part of an ongoing tour. A new report out of Chicago shows that arts and culture related foot traffic is back to pre-pandemic levels in downtown, an encouraging sign for arts related recoveries across the country.
BroadwayWorld Resources
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