After a decade of success, Calgary’s Cowtown Opera is closing its doors.
The company took a very inventive and daring approach to a form of art that could be perceived as elitist or boring. The artistic directors aimed to make opera accessible and relevant to a wider audience.
That is partly why its finale is emotional for founder Michelle Minke.
“There was one woman who came to our show, and after, her daughter came up and said: ‘My mom has Alzheimer’s and this is the first time she’s clapped in years,'” Minke recalled.
“Knowing we touched people’s lives in this building and in this community is really what this was all about.”
One of the reasons the opera is shutting down is the lack of provincial support for the future of arts. Minke said the non-profit didn’t want to wait to become a casualty of being underfunded.
“We realize we can either be the victims of the arts in Alberta or we can stop and celebrate what we’ve accomplished,” Minke said.
“As things are heading into next season, every arts company is going to have to be extremely creative in how they move forward.”
Minke said decision is also personal and the company wanted to end on a high note.
“Our footprint will be everlasting. We supplied work for over 600 artists and trained 250 singers and spent almost $1 million investing in those local artists.”
After producing 25 shows in 10 years, the final one, Does Not Compute, will debut in April.
WATCH BELOW (Feb. 22, 2016): What should you do if you suddenly find yourself face to face with a cougar? Here’s Gil Tucker with some Calgarians setting out a solution in song.